Magic Carpet ride in the famous Detian waterfall scenic area in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Photo: Screenshot from the official WeChat account of the waterfall

A facility malfunction at a tourist attraction located within the famous Detian waterfall scenic area in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region resulted in the death of one person and injuries to 60 others on Saturday. The attraction has been suspended and the scenic area has closed following the incident.

At 1:56 pm on Saturday, a malfunction occurred at the scenic area's Magic Carpet ride, a popular conveyance for tourists travelling up the incline next to the waterfall. As of 6:30 pm, the accident resulted in the death of one tourist and injuries to 60 others, including one person sustaining serious injuries and 59 with minor injuries. 

The official WeChat account of the waterfall announced the closure of the scenic area on Saturday evening, stating that due to equipment maintenance and inspection, the waterfall scenic area will be temporarily closed starting from Sunday, with the reopening date yet to be announced. Visitors who have already purchased tickets online were eligible for receive a refund through the original ticketing platform. 

Following the incident, local authorities established an emergency response team, providing treatment, conducting investigations into the cause of the accident, and comforting the those who witnessed the incident. 

Detian waterfall scenic spot is located in Detian village, Daxin county, upstream of the Guichun River on the border between China and Vietnam. The waterfall is the largest transnational waterfall in Asia and the fourth largest in the world, connecting with the nearby Ban Gioc waterfall in Vietnam. It is also a top-rated tourist attraction within China.

According to the scenic area, the Magic Carpet ride consists of two sections -- the first is approximately 128 meters long, and the second is about 228 meters long, totaling a length of about 356 meters. The ride operates at a speed of 0.6 to 1.0 meters per second and can transport approximately 3,000 tourists per hour uphill for a convenient and time-saving experience. 

A witness, who claimed on a social media platform that she was riding the Magic Carpet at the time of the incident, told the Global Times on Sunday that the carpet was transporting people upwards, with each person sitting an average of about 50 centimeters apart. "It suddenly stopped and started sliding down. The crowd in front and behind collided due to inertia and piled up together. The safety panels on both sides were also broken at that time."

Another witness at the scene who was quoted by the Beijing News said that when the incident happened, he heard many people screaming. The magic carpet kept running, and some people were stuck, with the skin on the arms of being peeled off.

Chinese media outlet the Red Star News reported on Sunday that a tourist who also had taken the carpet around Saturday noon said that although there were staff members of the scenic area reminding tourists not to stand or lie down at each stop of the carpet, there were no safety belts or other protective measures next to where the tourists were sitting. 

The Global Times learned from a tourist who recently travelled there that after the Magic Carpet was opened, the mountain climb road was almost impossible to walk, otherwise there would not be so many people using the Magic Carpet. 

A local travel agency told the Global Times that after the accident, they have adjusted their itineraries due to safety concerns at the waterfall scenic area. 

According to media outlets, the Magic Carpet malfunctioned once before in January 2023. At that time the carpet belt suddenly descended rapidly, forcing many tourists to walk up the mountain. The accident resulted in injuries to some people on site without serious issues, and ride was repaired within two hours, and normal operations resumed in the afternoon of the same day.

This tragic incident raised questions about the adequacy of safety maintenance at scenic areas. Tourists and insiders called for those scenic areas to reflect deeply, increase investment in safety, improve emergency plans, and ensure that such tragedies do not recur.

Accidents at major tourist attractions, including the incident at Beijing Universal Resort, highlight the need for improved safety management of tourist sites. 

In October 2021, Beijing Universal Resort apologized after their Decepticoaster ride broke down, leaving around 30 guests suspended in the air for about 10 minutes. Then the operation staff guided guests on the train walk down. The Decepticoaster ride operation was restored after a suspension of about 20 minutes. The resort compensated the visitors with a daily fast pass ticket.