Fatal incident at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast

Queensland Police Inspector Tod Reid said the “complex retrieval” will take several hours and involve heavy equipment.

Two women, aged 42 and 32 and two men, aged 38 and 35, were killed on the Thunder River Rapids ride about 2:20pm Queensland time on Tuesday.

It’s understood two riders were trapped by the underwater conveyor belt after the ride in front up-ended and two people were trapped in the raft. Two other riders were able to escape.

Media reports suggest all four of those killed were from the same family while theNew Zealand Herald claims one victim was a New Zealand woman on holiday with her family.

Eyewitness accounts suggest at least one of the women had children who were seen afterwards crying for their mother.

Gavin Fuller of Queensland Ambulance said two of the victims were “ejected” after a “malfunction” on the ride. Theme park staff were trying to help them when paramedics arrived — but Mr Fuller said their injuries were so severe they were “incompatible with life”.

Chaplains visited the park to offer support while others have left tributes at the scene.

‘PEOPLE HYSTERICALLY CRYING’

Witnesses told of their horror at seeing a young girl crying who they believe is the daughter of one of the victims.

“We saw people hysterically crying, running around ... One of the daughters said it was her family,” a witness told Sky News.

Lia Capes said: “We saw [a] little girl and we believe it was her mum because it was just her and her little sister that was an infant.”

“We tried to comfort her to the side to distract her.”

She also said: “I was speaking to one of the guys and he said it was the raft or the boat thing in front of him, the whole thing flipped and everyone was screaming.”

A male witness said “there were kids on board screaming while their mum was trapped under”. Meanwhile another woman said a woman was “crushed” by the ride and left “hanging by her foot”.

PROBLEMS WITH RIDE?

The accident has prompted intense speculation about whether or not the ride was performing well. Witnesses told Nine News they were forced to wait earlier in the day while water was drained and engineers looked at it, however Queensland Police denied knowledge of any prior incidents.

“They drained all the water out and then had to refill it back up, and then we were allowed to go.

“But, yeah, we were stuck there for about 30-40 minutes at least,” one woman told Nine.

Another park-goer Jesse Lovett said he rode the ride earlier with his two-year-old daughter on his lap and was concerned about the velcro strap which was ineffective, he claimed.

Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families involved and their loved ones.”

The company also issued a statement saying it was working with police to establish the facts.

“Dreamworld’s focus and priority is with the families of those involved in this tragedy and will be providing an update to the public as soon as information becomes available.”

The park will remain closed on Wednesday and Ardent Leisure — the owner of Dreamworld — saw its share price plunge following the incident.

‘We are deeply shocked and saddened by this,’ @Dreamworld_AU CEO Craig Davidson speaks after the fatal incident. https://t.co/ucKbKPJEgE

— ABC News 24 (@ABCNews24) October 25, 2016

SECOND SHUTDOWN IN SIX MONTHS

It’s the second time this year the park has been forced to close due to safety concerns over a ride. In April it was shut down for a weekend after a man nearly drowned on a similar ride. Worksafe Queensland allowed it to reopen after an investigation.

A Queensland Workplace Health and Safety spokesman said preliminary reports it may have been an industrial accident on a ride undergoing repair were false.

“The early indications we have is that the ride was operating at the time of the incident,” he said.

Fans of the park have taken to social media to vent fears about ageing equipment and operational issues.

Facebook user Tasneem Seedat gave the popular park a two star review on Monday, saying rides are “out of date and are not as smooth as they should be.”

“I injured myself on the way down from the giant drop because of your old school repairs and upgrades. Wipe-out and a few others need replacing. It just needs a general update all together. All rides are out of date,” she wrote.

“Another major concern is that for all of your rides there is only 1 or at max 2 people operating it and checking harnesses.”

WATCH: Police, @QldAmbulance and @Dreamworld_AU speak about this afternoon's tragedy. https://t.co/oH09XQFpdO

— QPS Media Unit (@QPSmedia) October 25, 2016