Three children under the age of five had a narrow escape on Wednesday at a fair in Vadodara when they were thrown off from the cabins of an amusement ride after the gates unexpectedly opened mid-air.
The incident in Vadodara occurred around 8 pm, during the Christmas celebrations at the Royal Mela, a fair set up along Vishwamitri Road by a private organiser.
According to the police, the control room received a complaint about the incident and upon investigation, it was revealed that the ride, constructed from fibre-reinforced plastic, had malfunctioned, causing the children to be ejected.
A team from the Raopura police station, led by Joint Commissioner of Police Dr Leena Patil and Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhay Soni, arrived at the scene and instructed the organisers to cease operations for the evening. The police also began inquiring about the permissions obtained by the fair’s organisers.
The police confirmed that there were no injuries, as the children were rescued. However, it was discovered that the ride in question had not been included in the list of rides approved by the district committee, which oversees the regulation of amusement parks and gaming zones.
While the police had granted the organisers permission to host the fair, they found that the specific ride was not among those authorised. An FIR is now being filed against the organisers for this violation.
The parents of the children involved claimed that the ride operator had fled after setting the ride to “top speed”.
The police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
Dr Patil stated that although the fair had received clearance from the City Ride Safety and Inspection Committees, which are responsible for implementing The Gujarat Amusement Rides and Gaming Zone Activity Safety Rules, the committee would inspect the fair the following day. Until the inquiry is completed, all rides at the fair will remain suspended.
This incident has raised serious questions about ride safety and regulatory compliance, especially as it occurred during a public holiday event where children were in attendance.
The authorities have assured the public that they are taking swift action to ensure that such accidents do not happen again and that all rides meet the necessary safety standards.
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