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(CNN) – Roller coasters in Japan capable of reaching speeds of up to 112 miles per hour are being shut down indefinitely pending an investigation into whether injuries to passengers were ride-related.
A press release issued by the park on August 20 says the roller coaster will be closed “due to a security review.”
The statement said that four passengers said they were injured during the journey between December 2020 and August 2021 and added that “currently, the causal link between the injuries and the amusement machines has not yet been confirmed”.
According to the regional government of Yamanshi Prefecture – where Fuji-Q is located – the four incidents involved men and women between the ages of 30 and 50. All had significant injuries, including a cervical fracture and a fractured thoracic spine, the latter of which could require up to three months of hospitalization.
A park representative declined to comment specifically on the bone fracture injury allegations and simply told a CNN reporter that “accidents have been reported by passengers.”
Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, theme parks across Japan have been open since June 2020. At the time, a directive urged roller coaster riders to “”scream in their heartsRather than out loud to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus.
Fuji-Q Highland was among the parks to take significant steps to limit its visitors. The park, located at the foot of Mount Fuji, only reopened its outdoor attractions, which included roller coasters.
Sansei Technologies, the Osaka-based manufacturing company that built the roller coaster, issued a similar statement.
“The causal relationship between passenger injuries and the amusement machine produced by our group company is not confirmed and we have to wait for the investigation from Yamanashi Prefecture and (the) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, of Transport and Tourism “, we can read.
“We would like to offer our sincere condolences and apologize for the inconvenience caused to related parties. “
Dodonpa is a genre of Japanese music that was popular in the 1960s and 1970s, although it is not clear if this is how the roller coaster got its name.
According to Fuji-Q, the coaster has 1,244 meters (4,080 feet) of track, with the top of its loop pointing 49 meters (161 feet) above the ground. There is currently no reopening date for the Dodon-pa roller coaster.
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