Five people, including two children, were injured after a giant ride-on collapsed at an amusement park in Vembayam near Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, police said.
The accident occurred at Happyland Amusement Park around 2pm during the holiday rush hour. Preliminary results indicate that a failure in weld joints and the supporting metal structure caused the ride to disintegrate during operation.
The injured have been identified as Manurathi (54), Seemani (49), Malini (49), Shyam Daniel (14) and Rose (16), all tourists from Nagercoil.
Read also | The violence broke out when the ED raided the homes of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
The parts of the iron support frame suddenly broke off, causing the riders to fall from the giant wheel. Authorities said a major tragedy had been avoided in the park, which was crowded with visitors due to the ongoing school holiday season.
Forces from the Kerala Police and Fire and Rescue Services rushed to the scene, and the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals.
A seriously injured woman was later transferred to Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital for specialist treatment. The condition of the rest of the injured is reportedly stable, although some of them suffered fractures and other injuries.
The police registered a case and opened an investigation into the incident. Officials check whether the recreational ride has undergone mandatory maintenance checks and safety certification checks. The authorities said that strict action will be taken if negligence or violation of safety standards is detected against the park management. (that I)
