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THREE children were seriously hurt when a rollercoaster flew off the rails and crashed at M&D's theme park on Sunday.

Five other kids and two adults were also injured after a carriage on the Tsunami ride shot off at 40mph and derailed, plunging 20 ft to the ground next to a children's ride.

Emergency crews were called to theme park at 3.37pm with one witness saying casualties were trapped in the wreckage for up to an hour.

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There were believed to be nine passengers on the ride at the time of the incident.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Chief Inspector David Bruce said police received numerous calls at 3.49pm.

He said: "Along with other emergency services we attended immediately and on arrival it became clear that a series of five gondolas connected on a train on the Tsunami ride have detached from the rails, struck the superstructure and then struck the ground.

"As a result of this accident 10 people have been injured, two adults and eight children.

“A joint investigation by Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive is now under way.”

One eyewitness has described the moment a group of dads were trying to tip the rollercoster carriage over to get access to the kids who were trapped inside.

One dad said: “I was queuing with my kids to go on the water slide when two security guards raced past and then people starting shouting that the rollercoaster had come off the rails.

“It was an unbelievable sight, seeing the full carriage upside down, on top on where those toddlers cars are parked.

“I knew the ride was full with ten people because I was going to go on it myself just minutes earlier and decided against it because of the queue.

“It was difficult to see anyone under the wreckage though and everyone around just seemed like they couldn’t quite take it what they were seeing.

“The place was eerily silent as everyone was in total shock. A group of dads were trying to tip the rollercoster carriage over to get access to the kids who were trapped inside but the thing was solid.

“When the reality of the situation struck everyone, there were kids in floods of tears and adults desperately trying to find their loved ones amid the chaos, with hundreds of people either trying to make their way to the exits or to offer their help at the scene.

“It was probably only a couple of minutes before the sirens of the fire engines and ambulances could be heard, but it felt like a lifetime.”

He added: “The entire place was shut down immediately as everyone was ushered towards the exits but there were people desperate to help the emergency services get the kids free, and those who were just too shocked top move on.”

Around two dozen park visitors struggled to right the carriage which ended up upside down and leaving riders trapped.

The scene was described as “carnage” by a shocked eye-witness.

Paisley Daily Express reporter Gavin McNally was at M&D’s and says it will be a miracle if there are no fatalities.

The Tsunami carriage was packed full - with ten people thought to be on board - as it flew off the rails on a corner and plummeted to the ground.

Gavin, who was at the park with his children, said: “It’s carnage.”

The Tsumani plunged off the rails at a corner.

“There was definitely people on it, it was full - about 10 people.”

“Two dozen guys ran to help firefighters to get the carriage upright after it fell kids’ cars below - the type you put a few pounds in for a shot.”

It will be a miracle if there are no fatalities.”

In March eight people had to be rescued from the theme park's Tornado rollercoaster after it ground to a halt 20ft above the ground.

Emergency services rescued the ride-goers and no one was injured during the incident.

In August 2015 three schoolchildren were left shocked and bruised when a log flume ride malfunctioned.

Tsunami is Scotland’s only inverted rollercoaster. It reaches speeds of up to 40 miles-per-hour, barrelling through corkscrew twists and loops. Children under 10 are restricted from riding the Tsunami, and a minimum height restriction of 1.4m applies.



In 2011, nine people were rescued from the same ride after being trapped for eight hours.

They were stranded 60 feet from the ground, with one rider describing the experience as a “nightmare.”