Roller coaster breakdown

Hamburg: Passengers roped out of “Höllenblitz”

Three people had to be rescued from a roller coaster at Hamburg Cathedral, the largest funfair in northern Germany.

(Bild: APA/dpa/Daniel Bockwoldt)

Three people had to be rescued from a roller coaster at Hamburg Cathedral. After an hour, the fire department's height rescuers managed to free the passengers from their awkward position six meters above the ground. This is not the first time that the "Höllenblitz" has made negative headlines.

Shortly before closing time, three Volksfest visitors wanted to treat themselves to another round on the high-speed ride. However, the ride ended abruptly at a height of six meters. According to NDR, height rescuers had to arrive with a turntable ladder and abseil the trio out of the roller coaster.

We got quite a lot for our seven euros.

Einer der Fahrgäste

The three people were examined by paramedics on the spot and were then allowed to go home unharmed. One of the passengers joked to the German newspaper "Bild": "For the seven euros, we got quite a deal."

Injured at the Oktoberfest
The three passengers took the mishaps in good humor, probably also because they were sitting upright in the ride and remained uninjured. Just a few months ago, a ride on the "Höllenblitz" ended in hospital for some passengers at the Oktoberfest in Munich. Back then, two carriages collided, which was probably due to a technical defect.

As reported by NDR, the motor is said to have been overloaded during the incident in Hamburg, which is why the safety system automatically shut down the roller coaster.

Largest indoor roller coaster in the world
The "Höllenblitz" roller coaster is 860 meters long and can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. According to the operator, it is the largest indoor roller coaster in the world.