BEIJING (Reuters) - A space shuttle simulator ride plunged to the ground, killing six people and injuring another 10 at a popular south China amusement park, state media reported on Wednesday.

Survivors said there was a power cut and they heard a loud explosion moments before the drop, Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Wednesday.

Five of those injured in the Tuesday accident are still in a serious condition, the paper added.

The “space flight” attraction at Overseas Chinese Town East aimed to give riders in 11 four-person cabins the experience of a rocket launch, the official Xinhua agency said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, and part of the amusement park in the coastal city of Shenzhen has been shut down for safety checks, Xinhua quoted local official Xiao Wenhong saying.

In 2006, one person was killed and another seriously injured by a Ferris wheel accident in the southwestern province of Guizhou.