A teenager, thought to be British, died on Monday afternoon, after falling from a rollercoaster at a Spanish holiday resort.

The 18-year-old is believed to have fallen from the Inferno ride at the Terra Mitica theme park in Benidorm, at around 4:30pm, after his safety harness allegedly malfunctioned, the Mirror reported.

The teenager suffered multiple fractures and head wounds.

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An ambulance crew attended the scene, but the teen died from a cardiac arrest inside the ambulance at around 5:30pm.

It is understood that the young man was on holiday at the popular holiday destination with his father, his brother and a friend.

Local councillor, Jose Marcet, told the El Mundo newspaper that the teenager was British, but other reports suggest he may be Icelandic.

A court in Benidorm has launched an investigation into the incident, a judicial source told the Mirror.

“The judge is awaiting a police report after which he will decide what action to take,” the source told reporters.

Benidorm's National Police said: "We are still investigating and can't give out any information about the victim or his age or nationality at this stage."

The rollercoaster, which was unveiled in 2007, is situated in the Egyptian-themed zone of the 14-year-old theme park.

No-one from the theme park has yet made any public comment on the incident.