Tourist plunges 900 feet to death after his seat broke away from newly opened tightrope ride in China

A Chinese man fell to his death in an unfortunate tightrope accident on Monday.

According to reports, the deceased man and his friend were sightseeing on the aerial tourist attraction in Hunan, central China, when the accident happened, reported People's Daily Online.

The tightrope attraction involved a bike and seat suspended over 900 feet in the air from four tightropes attached to opposing cliff face.

The attraction is said to be an automated ride where one person sits on a bike that glides along the cable while a second person is suspended in a seat that hangs beneath the bike.

Two parts of the bike are connected by a link and the entire ride is very exposed to the elements, adding to the thrill of the attraction.

The man who died has been named only by his surname Yang. He's said to be around 40 years old and was originally from Shanxi, central China.

He was sitting on the suspended seat when the link connecting the chair to the bike broke off in the middle of the journey and he plummeted to the valley floor below.

Mr Yang, who was rushed to hospital, suffered sever injuries and could not be saved.

The second tourist, who is unnamed, was riding the bike at the top.

After the chair fell, the bike also lost balance leaving the second tourist dangling upside down.

Luckily, as the bike was still attached to the cable, staff at the park were able to pull the tourist to safety.

The second tourist was said to have sustained only minor injuries.

The ride was part of an outdoor park in a scenic area in Longquan Grand Canyon, Hunan, which has a number of aerial attractions.

It has only been open since May this year and has now been closed following the incident.

Staff operating the attraction have also been detained by the police.

The incident is currently under investigation.