An 18-year-old man has died after falling from a horse-drawn carriage in New York City, police have said.

The teenager, identified locally as a tourist from India, was riding on the carriage in Central Park with three others when the driver stepped away to take a picture of the group, police told US media.

The horse then bolted, before clipping another carriage and toppling over, footage showed.

The critically injured young man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The three other passengers did not require treatment, according to reports.

"It appears the driver was at least at arm's length from his horse," Alexander Kemp, a vice president of the union, Transport Workers Union Local 100, said in a statement to local media.

"This is unacceptable. A driver is not supposed to leave the carriage to take photos - ever. We support a full investigation."

The accident comes a week after a carriage horse called Deniz died in Central Park from eating a toxic plant, according to the initial autopsy results.

Horse-drawn carriages in Central Park are a popular tourist attraction, but their use has long been criticised by animal rights activists.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he supports removing the carriages from the park.

New York City Council member Shahana Hanif said the latest incidents "are heartbreaking reminders that horse-drawn carriages are unsafe for both horses and people".

"These incidents are not isolated. We must pass Ryder's Law, end this outdated industry, and ensure a just transition for workers," he wrote on X. "New York can and must do better."

Under the Ryder's Law bill, the city would not issue any more carriage licenses and phase out the rides over two years.

Another local council member Harvey Epstein said he was "horrified" by the "tragic accident".

"Time and again, we are seeing both horses and people suffer the consequences of an industry that poses serious risks to public safety and animal welfare," he said in a statement posted on X.

"New York City can't continue to ignore these tragedies."