Tallest rollercoaster in the world forced to close indefinitely

THE world’s tallest rollercoaster has been forced to close indefinitely after a malfunction while people were on the ride.

Kingda Ka in Six Flags, New Jersey, is the tallest rollercoaster on the planet – and the fastest in America.

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However it is currently listed as “temporarily closed” on the Six Flags website following an incident on Sunday.

One of the launch cables on the 456ft tall coaster snapped while people were mid-ride, forcing it to be shut down.

Fortunately, no one was harmed and everyone was able to get off safely.

Roller Coaster news site Coaster Hub reported: “The launch cable for Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure has snapped.

“Although there were people on board, no riders were injured and the train safely rolled back.

“It is unclear how long the ride will be down for, but we hope to see it back up and safely operating as soon as possible!”

The thrill ride can reach speeds of 128mph, making it the second fastest in the world.

It was the quickest until Formula Rossa opened in Abu Dhabi 2010, although it’s still the tallest.

It is also only one of two stratacoasters in the world – a ride that has drops of at least 400 feet.

Kingda Ka takes its riders 456 feet in the air and goes from 0 to its top speed of 128 mph in 3.5 seconds.

Passengers first endure a steep 90 degree climb before plummeting back down the other side, where the ride hits its top speeds.

The entire journey only takes about a minute to complete, but is no-less terrifying because of its sheer size.

Roller coaster fans reacted with disappointment, with some still yet to ride the bucket list attraction.

One wrote on Twitter: “I really hope Kingda Ka isn’t dead for good as it has been my number one bucket list coaster since I can ever remember.

“I was looking at going this year but very unlikely now. I really hope it is just a case of a snapped cable which they will be able to replace.”

Another said: “I’m hopeful they’ll fix it as I think Six Flags will value still owning the world’s tallest coaster.

“It’s a shame if it is a long-term closure because it was absolutely awesome.”

Sun Online Travel has contacted Six Flags for comment.

Meanwhile, the UK’s biggest rollercoaster broke earlier this year.

And these were the 20 best theme parks and waterparks in the world, according to TripAdvisor.

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