This is the horrific moment a drop ride at an amusement park smashes into the ground instead of stopping at the last second in an accident that has claimed at least one life.

The footage, filmed in Zacatecas, the capital city of the Mexican state of Zacatecas, shows the ride all lit up at night as it slowly carries fairgoers up.

It then suddenly drops, as it is designed to do, sending punters plummeting towards the ground for thrills.

But it all goes horribly wrong when the ride fails to stop at the last second and slams hard onto the ground as people scream in the incident, which took place on the night of 3rd September.

The incident took place during the National Fair of Zacatecas and reportedly caused a panic, with at least one person dying as a result of the accident.

People at the fair reported hearing a roaring noise followed swiftly by heartwrenching screams.

A number of people were also reportedly injured and taken to hospital for treatment after medics arrived on the scene.

There has been no update on their conditions.

Bizarrely, Jorge Luis Gallardo Alvarez, the state coordinator for civil protection in Zacatecas, denied that a failure had occurred and said on Facebook: “We invite you to come. Absolutely nothing has happened, there is no accident as such.”

But the authorities are investigating the deadly mechanical failure, according to local media.