'Loud Bang' Preceded Coaster Incident That Injured 19 At Six Flags

JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ — The state ordered the Six Flags Great Adventure roller coaster El Toro closed after 19 of its riders reported injuries Thursday night.

Nineteen people reported injuries after finishing a circuit of the ride, state officials said. The Department of Community Affairs, which oversees carnival and amusement ride safety, said its inspectors are on site at the Jackson Township amusement park on Friday.

"Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang and seeing a jolting of the El Toro train during operation," said Tammori C. Petty-Dixon, director of communications for the DCA.

First responders treated 14 people onsite, according to the DCA. Five people went to local hospitals for further treatment, the department said: one for a neck injury, two for back injuries, and two for mouth and tongue injuries.

"There is no further information as to the cause of the incident at the present moment," Petty-Dixon said Friday.

Six Flags said 13 people were treated on the scene after reporting "back pain and minor injuries," and five were taken to the hospital. The incident happened around 7:30 p.m., close to the park's closing time, officials said. A park spokesperson said that the five people taken to the hospital were "treated and released."

Spokesman Gabriel Daretta said El Toro finished its normal cycle, and all guests got off the ride "without need of assistance."

"The ride will remain closed for inspection," Daretta said Friday. "Any maintenance and repairs necessary will be completed and the ride will be re-inspected by our engineers, maintenance professionals, our 3rd party independent safety inspectors and the state of NJ prior to re-opening."

Six Flags had no further statement as of 4 p.m. Friday.

This is not the first time El Toro (Spanish for "The Bull") has closed because of an issue. A partial derailment caused the state to shut it down last summer.

No one was injured on June 29, when a train came to a stop short of the brake run with the rear wheels of one car off the track. Read more: Six Flags' El Toro Coaster To Reopen In Spring, Park Says

The wooden coaster reopened earlier this year, taking riders on 4,400 feet of twists, tight turns, and drops at a top speed of 70 miles per hour, and a drop of 176 feet.

El Toro was designed by Werner Stengel. The German thrill-ride engineer has worked on many of the world's record-breaking roller coasters, including Kingda Ka at Great Adventure.

Intamin, a Swiss company whose name is shortened from "International Amusement Installations," manufactured El Toro. The company has created dozens of coasters around the world.

Intamin contracted with Rocky Mountain Construction to build El Toro, according to Coasterforce.com.

Patch's Karen Wall contributed to this report.