Rides close after teen's feet cut off

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Six Flags and Cedar Fair Entertainment shut down eight more thrill rides around North America on Friday after a teenager's feet were sliced off during a ride in Kentucky.

State inspectors were at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom to examine the Superman Tower of Power, where the accident happened Thursday evening. The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up and drops them nearly the same distance at speeds reaching 54 mph.

A cable broke loose on the ride, striking the 13-year-old girl in the legs, said Bill Clary, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which inspects amusement park rides.

Clary said inspectors don't know what caused the cable to break.

It was unclear at what point in the ride the girl was injured, said Wendy Goldberg, a Six Flags spokeswoman. The girl was hospitalized, but her condition was not available Friday.

Six Flags shut down similar rides at parks in St. Louis; Gurnee, Ill.; and near Washington, D.C., as a precaution, Goldberg said. There had been no reports of injuries on the ride before Thursday, she said.

Cedar Fair Entertainment also shut down drop-tower rides at five amusement parks for inspection, company spokeswoman Stacy Frole said.

Intamin, a Swiss company, made all the rides but did not supply all the parts, a company official said.