“The wear and tear of the machine parts seems to have played a role in the accident,” a police official said, per a local report
NEED TO KNOW
- A ride at an amusement park suddenly collapsed on Thursday, May 28
- At least five people, ranging in age from 14 to 54, were injured in the incident, according to reports
- Preliminary investigations suggest that welding failure and aging parts caused the ride’s collapse, per local authorities
A ride at an amusement park suddenly collapsed, injuring at least five people.
The incident occurred at the Happyland Amusement Park near the Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala, India, on Thursday, May 28, according to the Associated Press and local outlets The Hindu, India Today and The New Indian Express.
A video shared by AP showed the moment the swing ride began to malfunction at around 2 p.m. local time during a busy school vacation season. Dozens of people could be seen sitting in chairs on the ride as they swung high above the ground in a circle.
Credit: Newsflare
A few seconds later, the top of the ride began to lean toward one side. As the ride tilted, people in the chairs got dangerously lower until a few collided with a yellow barrier and the ground.
At least five people — including two children — were injured in the incident, according to the outlets. They ranged in age from 14 to 54 and were all identified as tourists from Nagercoil, India, per India Today.
Four of those hurt in the incident were transported to nearby hospitals with fractures and other injuries, and they were reported to have been in stable condition, according to AP. One woman, who sustained serious injuries, was moved to another hospital for specialized treatment, per the outlet.
Preliminary findings from the Venjaramoodu police found that there was allegedly a failure in the welding joints and supporting metal structure of the ride's giant wheel while it was in operation, according to India Today.
Portions of the iron support frame snapped, suddenly causing riders to fall. Bystanders reported hearing a loud snapping sound before the ride collapsed, per the outlet.
“The wear and tear of the machine parts seems to have played a role in the accident,” a police official said, per The New Indian Express.
“An inspection revealed that the ride was affected by aging. But the immediate cause of the accident was the welding failure, which resulted in a metal part breaking away," the police official added.
Credit: Newsflare
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Police are investigating the incident, and officials are looking into whether the ride underwent mandatory maintenance inspections and safety certification checks before the incident, according to The New Indian Express.
Authorities said action would be taken against park management if they uncover that negligence or violations of safety checks played a role in the incident, per the outlet.
