Theme Park Ride Snaps in Half and Crashes to Ground on Video

Horrifying video shows the moment an amusement park ride snaps in two, sending riders crashing to the ground ... leaving dozens licking their wounds.

Footage out of Saudi Arabia captures the whole incident involving a carnival ride called 360 Degrees ... riders are strapped in chairs on the revolving ride, and they swing up and down -- until chaos hits.

The ride's central pole breaks in half like a twig -- gravity takes over and the revolving platform comes hurtling down ... and the impact sends debris and broken ride parts flying through the air.

Horrified riders and onlookers scream out ... and the folks on the ride squirm in their seats as they process what just happened.

At least 23 people were injured ... and this all went down Thursday at Green Mountain Park in Taif, Saudi Arabia.