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Amusement park accident kills 6 in China

A space shuttle simulator ride plunged 50 feet to the ground at a popular Chinese amusement park, killing six people and injuring another 10.
Image: A view of the space-themed amusement park Overseas Chinese Town East
Part of the Overseas Chinese Town East amusement park in Shenzhen, China, has been closed following Tuesday's deadly accident.Tian Fei / EPA
/ Source: msnbc.com news services

A space shuttle simulator ride plunged 50 feet to the ground at a popular Chinese amusement park, killing six people and injuring another 10.

Survivors said there was a power cut and they heard a loud explosion moments before the drop, Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Wednesday.

Five of those injured in Tuesday's accident are still in a serious condition, the paper added.

The "space flight" attraction at Overseas Chinese Town East aimed to give riders in 11 four-person cabins the experience of a rocket launch, the official Xinhua agency said.

Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily News quoted witnesses as saying one cabin came loose during a high-speed spin and struck other cabins. Some fell 50 feet, sending passengers tumbling.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, and part of the amusement park in the coastal city of Shenzhen has been shut down for safety checks, Xinhua quoted local official Xiao Wenhong saying.

The booming southern city of Shenzhen is a one-hour drive north of Hong Kong.