A man has been admitted to a hospital in the French capital after a chunk of scenery fell onto the tracks of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad rollercoaster ride at Disneyland Paris. According to a statement made by the park, the 38-year-old is being treated for an injury to the head and Disneyland paramedics had been on hand to attend to four other people who received minor injuries.

According to Seine-et-Marne’s deputy prefect, Thierry Bonnet, there were 25 people on the ride when a piece of scenery made from wood and fibre-glass broke away from the attraction and hit one of the carriages. The ride has been closed pending an investigation into what caused the incident.

The railroad is an imitation of a runaway mine train. It is one of the most popular rides with visitors to the amusement park which entertains around 15 million guests every year. In the statement, Disneyland Paris emphasised that its number one priority was the safety of visitors and employees and that a thorough investigation into what went wrong would take place.

It went on to say that the rest of the park was to remain open as usual. The incident occurred over the Easter break, a particularly busy period. Last year the park celebrated its 20^th anniversary.

Disney California Adventure was the scene of a similar incident which ended in tragedy in 2003. When one of the cars became separated from the ride’s other carriages, ten people sustained injuries and one man lost his life.