The launch cable on Alton Towers’ Rita rollercoaster snapped during normal ride operation this morning.
No injuries have currently been reported and the Intamin-manufactured ride has subsequently closed.
It is understood that the incident happened between 10:00 and 10:30, and the train was reportedly laden with passengers.
The Tpblog website has shared an image of the apparent aftermath via its Facebook and Twitter accounts.
It depicts two staff members standing adjacent to the severed cable, which is dangling close to the ground above a public walkway.
It is not the first instance of a cable failure on an Intamin launched rollercoaster.
The Xcelerator ride at Knotts Berry Farm in the United States snapped in 2009, injuring two people.
Rita was installed at Alton Towers in 2005, originally being named Rita – Queen of Speed.