FINAL RIDE
Moment world’s tallest roller coaster is BLOWN UP with 456-foot tower turned to pile of rubble in series of explosions
Jaw-dropping video showed the moment the tower came crumbling down
THE tallest roller coaster in the world has been blown up by a rapid-fire series of explosives and reduced to a pile of rubber.
Kingda Ka, the record-breaking 456-foot-tall roller coaster, imploded at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey on Friday morning.
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Footage shows the iconic ride tumbling down after a series of controlled explosions.
The detonations were supposed to go off between 9 am and 10 am - but the tower was blown up at around 7 am.
The Ocean County Prosecutors warned residents who live near the theme park, which is about 72 miles outside of New York City, about the loud plans.
"The noises may be startling, but please don't be alarmed," the prosecutor's office warned.
Video from above the explosion obtained by showed the roller coaster's massive pieces lying in a pile of metal scraps.
Smoke lingered over the New Jersey theme park, which opens for the 2025 season on Saturday, March 29.
After being launched in 2005, Kingda Ka was known for throwing riders up the massive tower at speeds of 128 mph.
Now, the theme park is removing the pile of rubble to create a brand new roller coaster.
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Kingda Ka and another coaster called Green Lantern are both being removed from the park to make way for the new ride.
In their place, Six Flags is opening The Flash: Vertical Velocity, which is described as "North America's first super boomerang coaster."
Shocking moment man jumps out of moving roller coaster after safety device malfunctioned seconds before huge drop_1
“We understand that saying goodbye to beloved rides can be difficult, and we appreciate our guests' passion," park president Brian Bacica said in a press release in November.
"These changes are an important part of our growth and dedication to delivering exceptional new experiences.
"We look forward to sharing more details next summer."
Imploded just two months before its 20th birthday, the king was ready to finally fall.
It's the ride that made me a coaster enthusiast and now it's gone. I've never known great adventure like Kingda Ka before. This is all I've known."
Kingda Ka fan
Kingda Ka suffered mechanical failures that led to months-long closures in its final years.
The iconic coaster also survived a lightning strike in 2009.
FANS SAY FAREWELL
Fans shared their emotional reactions to the coaster's fall on Friday morning.
"It's the ride that made me a coaster enthusiast and now it's gone," one rider sobbed while speaking to CBS affiliate .
"I've never known great adventure like Kingda Ka before. This is all I've known."
"Theme park history won’t be the same without it," one wrote on X.
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"Wow. The end of an era, glad I got to experience sitting front row," another wrote.
A third added, "The saddest Day in Roller Coaster History. Thank You King…. For Everything."
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