Stockholm  - A faulty drive shaft was being blamed Monday for last week's accident at an amusement park in the south-western city of Gothenburg that saw 30 people taken to hospital after a ride collapsed.

In all, 36 people were on the ride when it broke at the Liseberg amusement park in the coastal city on Tuesday. Two people sustained pelvic injuries.

The faulty drive shaft was detected when the ride was dismantled over the weekend. Constructed in 1983, the ride has a capacity of 40.

A statement issued by the amusement park said the shaft was made by Huss Maschinenfabrik of Germany and had been replaced in 2003.

It was fully enclosed and therefore not included in the park's regular service routine.

The drive shaft had an operational life of 5,000 hours and according to Liseberg had been in operation for some 3,500 hours at the time of the accident.

The maker said it would stop further operations of the some 40 rides worldwide that use the shaft, the Liseberg statement said.

The amusement park is the largest in Scandinavia with some 30 rides. (dpa)