Nine people were injured when a popular ride at GrandWest’s pop-up ‘Fun Park’ malfunctioned over the weekend.
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The Fun Park, which featured 16 rides, opened on 23 June for the winter school holidays. As per IOL, the swing carousel toppled over while children, secured on the swings, spun full-speed through the air. The rotating top of the carousel came loose.
Mervyn Naidoo, general manager at GrandWest, says the pop-up has been closed until further notice. ‘We took this decision yesterday after a malfunction occurred with one of the swing rides leaving nine riders with light injuries. Five of the riders [who were] checked out by paramedics refused hospital attention.’
He says four riders were sent to the hospital, though they were released with no serious injuries.
According to Naidoo, the Fun Park is owned by an independent company that has operated the event safely for several years in numerous locations. ‘The required clearance documents and signed-off plans were approved by structural engineers. We await the results of their investigation of the said incident. The other rides all worked according to specifications, but GrandWest will not permit the event to continue operating until a complete reassessment has been fully undertaken by the Fun Park event owners.’
‘From the number of calls that we have received, we know that there are many disappointed visitors, but in a choice between leisure and safety, the management of GrandWest will always choose safety.’
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