Police open investigation into PortAventura incident
Two critically injured at theme park after strong winds caused tree to fall on roller coaster
Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, have opened an investigation into the accident at PortAventura amusement park that left 14 people injured on Sunday.
Two remain in a critical condition, one at Bellvitge hospital outside Barcelona and the other at the Joan XXIII hospital in Tarragona. The other 12 people discharged have been discharged.
The theme park has declined to provide information about the accident, citing the ongoing police investigation.
In an interview on Catalunya Ràdio on Monday, one of the people on the roller coaster explained how the tree had fallen onto the track before the ride reached it.
"The ride started as normal. We were nearing the end and in the distance we saw a large tree, it wasn't a branch, and everyone started screaming. We crashed against the trunk and the ride continued until the end. There was no system to halt it or slow it down," the woman said. The carriages did not derail.
"On an emotional level, it was a very brutal shock," she said. The park's response to those affected "has not been up to the mark," she said, and no explanation was given to them, "beyond the public statement."
Safety plan expired
PortAventura's safety plan – known as a Self-protection Plan (PAU) – was approved in 2019 but expired in September.
Sources from the Civil Protection Agency told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that the theme park presented documentation to update its plan in December and the administrative procedure is now in the "review" phase, a process that lasts a maximum of six months.
The Department of the Interior has confirmed that the 2019 PAU applies until the new one comes into force.
Civil Protection said that the fact that a company has an expired PAU is "a non-optimal situation" but that it sometimes happens. "It is much better" to have an expired PAU than not to have one, they added.
Press access denied
The Tarragona branch of the College of Journalists of Catalonia issued a statement on Monday stating it had "conveyed to PortAventura its disagreement with the information management of the accident," as the company "prevented media access to the facilities."
Numerous journalists "found themselves unable to obtain information from inside" and "all media outlets were denied access to the premises, and some even had to pay out of their own pocket to enter the park to be able to approach the scene," the statement said. The press were not allowed in on Monday either and were only able to take pictures of the ticket office area.
"We regret that this communication policy is detrimental to accessing information and freedom of the press, as well as the right of citizens to obtain truthful and verified news."