Four people died in the tragedy at Dreamworld in 2016.
(CNN) -
The operator of Australia's Dreamworld theme park was fined 3.6 million Australian dollars (US $ 2.5 million) for the failure of one of its attractions that killed four people in 2016.
Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi were on the Thunder River Rapids Ride at the Queensland attraction when their raft came into contact with another transport and capsized, throwing some of the passengers onto the conveyor belt and into the ride machinery. .
Low's 10-year-old son and 12-year-old Goodchild's daughter were also on the raft, but they survived the crash.
Ardent Leisure pleaded guilty in July to three security charges and was punished on Monday.
The company had faced a maximum fine of A $ 4.5 million, CNN affiliate Nine News reported.
CNN has contacted the company for comment.
Nine News reported that a series of breaches of protection were read to the court, along with an impact statement on the victim of Kim Dorsett, the mother of Goodchild and Dorsett.
"I cry for my children, my lost children, every day," he said.
Dreamworld operator response in Australia
In a 2018 investigation it emerged that the tragedy could perhaps have been prevented if an emergency brake button had been pressed.
However, theme park staff had been advised during training to "don't worry" about the button and instead rely on a button first to slow down, in seven seconds.
Radio presenter Patricia Karvelas, who was friends with two of the victims, reacted to Monday's ruling on Twitter, where she wrote: “Is this the penalty for the death of my friends?
What a dark day.
Ardent Leisure operates two Gold Coast theme parks, Dreamworld and Whitewater World.
It also operates the city's Sky Point observation deck.
In a statement sent to Nine News, its president, Gary Weiss, and the general director of the theme park division, John Osbourne, said that they apologized "without reservation for the past circumstances and failures at Dreamworld."
"Ardent accepts responsibility for this tragedy without qualifications or reservations," the statement said.
"Today we accept the decision of the Court to impose a fine of $ 3.6 million, which is the largest fine in Queensland history for a tragedy in the workplace," he adds.
Dreamworld