Metal Fracture Caused Orient Express Accident

Kansas City, MO -- Worlds of Fun officials released a statement on the cause of the train derailment on the Orient Express roller coaster in July. According to the park the accident was a result of an unusual fracture inside one of the metal supports.

According to the statement the fracture was a result of metal fatigue caused by wear and tear from the track. The park doubts that the fracture could have been detected because of the origin inside the support.

The accident left two of the train's seven cars dangling over the side of the track approximately 30-feet above the ground. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured.

The Orient Express has been closed since the derailment, but after the investigation experts believe that this was just a freak accident. Park officials confirmed that the Orient Express will reopen next season.

The Orient Express opened in 1980 at Worlds of Fun. The coaster is 117 feet tall and features four inversions as trains travel along 3,470-feet of track. Arrow Dynamics of Utah designed the ride.

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