Fourteen injured and two in critical condition after tree falls on Tomahawk roller coaster during 60 km/h storm in Spain

FOURTEEN people are injured and two are in critical condition after a tree fell on the “Tomahawk” roller coaster at a theme park in Spain.

It is said that a strong storm with winds of up to 40 miles per hour blew over the tree and caused branches to fall on the passengers.

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The tragic accident took place at around 11am at PortAventura, a theme park located between Vila Seca and Salou, on the Costa Daurada.

According to a statement from the company, some of the tree's branches landed directly on passengers in the roller coaster carts.

Eight ambulances and a medical helicopter were sent to the park and treated 14 people.

One person in critical condition was taken to Bellvitge Hospital Barcelonawhile the other was taken to the Joan XXIII University Hospital in Tarragona – both by helicopter.

Three other injured passengers were taken to several nearby hospitals.

Park management said the event was “completely unrelated to the operation and maintenance” of the park's attractions, which “meet the highest safety standards.”

They said the strong winds blowing across Tarragona today were the cause of the incident.

The park added that it had closed other rides and roller coasters in the park to protect its customers from the effects of the wild winds.

But access to the Tomahawk remained open because the children's attraction fell into the park's “soft” category, a spokesperson said.

An investigation was launched Police moved in with five teams.

In 2009, a worker was struck by a cart while performing maintenance on the same roller coaster and tragically died.

The wooden Tomahawk is located in the far west of the theme park at the PortAventura World Resort, about 80 kilometers southwest of Barcelona.

The roller coaster, built in 1997, was intended for children and stipulates that passengers must be between 1.05 and 1.85 meters tall.

PortAventura closed the Tomahawk today after the tragedy.

Last year in Stockholm, a woman was killed and several children were injured in a horror roller coaster crash.

The 35-year-old died as nine people were rushed to hospital.

Disaster struck at the Grona Lund amusement park when the Jetline roller coaster partially derailed during a ride.

There were fourteen people in the roller coaster car.

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