Man, 20, killed by Oktoberfest rollercoaster wagon swinging at full speed

Oktoberfest rollercoaster
The incident happened during the test ride of the rollercoaster (Picture: EPA)

A construction worker was killed during the test ride of a rollercoaster at the site Germany’s Oktoberfest.

The incident happened just before 11am today in the Bavarian capital of Munich, which hosts the annual beer festival.

It is understood that the man was hit on the head by a wagon – at full speed – and was left lying under the tracks of the ride, named Olympia Looping.

The victim – identified as a 20-year-old Romanian – suffered serious injuries in the incident, Bild reported.

Emergency services rushed to his aid and an ambulance drove him to a hospital, but he succumbed to his wounds an hour later.

Police have cordoned off the scene while an investigation into his death takes place.

epa11608267 A police cordon at the Oktoberfest construction site where a 20-year-old worker died after being hit by a rollercoaster??train during a test drive on the Olympia Looping roller coaster ahead of the upcoming beer festival in Munich, Germany, 16 September 2024. The 189th Oktoberfest beer festival will run from 21 September to 06 October 2024. EPA/ANNA SZILAGYI
An investigation into the incident is taking place (Picture: EPA)

German news agency DPA cited Peter Bausch, chairperson of the Munich Funfair Operator Association, as saying: ‘It is a tragic accident. That a young person has died is the most terrible thing.’

Funfair operator, Yvonne Heckl, said she has been in a state of shock in the hours after the man’s death.

She described what happened as ‘news that pulls the ground out from under your feet – a drama for the family, the operator and everyone else involved.’

The incident comes just days before Oktoberfest is set to kick off in Munich, on Saturday, September 21, until Sunday, October 6.

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