One person has died and several others were injured in an incident involving a roller coaster at the Six Flags amusement park in the US state of Georgia, according to initial reports.
The incident occurred on Monday at the Six Flags park, roughly 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Atlanta. Officials are investigating the cause of death but have not yet confirmed the nature of the incident or how the other victims were injured.
Images and video circulating online appeared to show a man being thrown from his seat and falling to the ground. Al Jazeera has not been able to independently verify the footage.
A Six Flags spokesperson said the company had closed nine roller coasters at six parks out of "an abundance of caution," describing them as similar to the ride involved in the incident. Neither police nor the company named the specific ride, but local television footage showed passengers being escorted off the Goliath coaster, which had stopped mid-ride.
Witnesses also told local station 11Alive that they saw a man fall onto the roof of a haunted house attraction; those accounts have likewise not been verified.
Six Flags said it was "deeply saddened by this guest incident" and was supporting the affected guests and employees.
Lisa Cupid, chair of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, said she "cannot imagine the terror that guests and employees witnessed today."
According to the company's website, the Goliath coaster opened in 2006 and reaches speeds of 70 mph (113 km/h) at a height of 200 feet (61 metres).
This is at least the seventh death at the park, according to the Doan Law Firm, which tracks amusement park accidents. A previous incident on Goliath in 2006 involved a man who may have suffered a heart attack while riding.
About two weeks ago, Six Flags Magic Mountain in California announced it would retire the X2 coaster after more than 100 people were reported to have suffered brain injuries while riding it. The company said the coaster had passed safety tests but was closing it anyway because it was "the right thing to do."
