The Mindbender, billed as the world’s largest indoor triple-loop roller-coaster, has been shut down for good, West Edmonton’s Mall’s Galaxyland confirmed Monday.
The roller-coaster has made its home inside the mall since 1985. Galaxyland said the area the ride was located in will be redeveloped.
The changes to the area started with the decommissioning and removal of the Mindbender, a statement from the mall explained.
The Mindbender roller coaster in West Edmonton Mall’s Galaxyland.
Supplied: WEM
“The iconic Mindbender has been the park’s premier thrill ride since the grand opening in 1985,” said Lori Bethel, the mall’s vice-president of parks and attractions.
“While the Mindbender will be missed, we are excited to announce that we are working on groundbreaking new plans for family thrills that will immerse our guests in an out-of-this-world experience.”
The ride became infamous in 1986, when, on June 14, three people died when the last car jumped the track.
The car was going about 100 km/h when it struck a pillar and hurled its four passengers to the concrete floor below.
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It shut down for more than a year. After safety modifications, it reopened as a main attraction at the mall.
A provincial inquiry eventually blamed the crash on a defunct West German company for design and manufacturing flaws. It found that four bolts had worked loose, allowing a wheel assembly to fall off the roller-coaster car.
–With files from The Canadian Press
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