The terrifying moment a carnival ride snapped in half mid-air, injuring at least 23 thrill seekers has been caught on camera.

The spinning 360 Degree ride appeared to be operating as normal but an ominous cracking sound was heard just before the disaster unfolded at Green Mountain Park in a popular resort area of Saudi Arabia.

The ride swings side to side by a pendulum style metal pole and also spins joyriders around in a circular gondola.

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As the structure collapsed, the gondola slammed into the ground, jolting riders who were strapped in by safety harnesses and sending some flying.

Footage of the incident shared widely on social media shows the excited screams of the riders turning to screams of fear as part of the central pole of the ride snaps.

It is understood three people are in hospital in a critical condition, with at least 23 injured from the force of the impact when the ride hit the ground and onlookers who were hit.

An eyewitness, Khaleej Times, said the pole recoiled at high speed before collapsing.

It is believed that as the pole recoiled two or three people were thrown in the opposite direction while the rest of the riders remained in their seats.

In the chaos that follows onlookers rush to help while some of the riders try to flee.

Some of the injured received on-site treatment, while others were transported to local hospitals, the Saudi Gazette reports.

Prince Saud bin Nahar, Governor of Taif, has ordered the immediate closure of the resort following incident and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the malfunction and whether safety protocols were followed.