[ad_1]
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Eight children were injured after falling from an inflatable fairground slide at a fireworks display.
Woking Park in Surrey was evacuated and a major incident was declared after “a number of children fell from the slide” at about 19:30 GMT on Saturday.
Seven of the children were discharged from hospital overnight, with an eighth kept in for observation, with injuries “not believed to be significant”.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating.
The site was evacuated at about 20:00 to allow the helicopter to land and “multiple crews” from the South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) to help the injured.
‘So dangerous’
Police initially described the incident as the collapse of a helter skelter ride, but corrected their report to describe it as a “giant inflatable slide” .
One parent, Carl Baccus, told BBC Radio 5 Live that his five-year-old son asked to go on the slide when they arrived at the event, but he refused because it looked “so dangerous”.
He said he could see “at least 20” children on the slide and his “parental instinct” told him it was a bad idea.
An eyewitness told BBC News correspondent Simon Clemison there were “about 40 children” on the slide, which is about 30ft (9m) high when fully inflated.
At the scene
By Tom Pugh, BBC News
Amid the merry-go-rounds, win-a-prize stalls and bumper cars at Woking Park lies the deflated inflatable at the centre of Saturday night’s incident.
The park remained sealed off on Sunday morning as police maintained a low-key presence at the scene.
One witness, Andy Datson, 23, described seeing children being tended to by emergency crews.
Another described hearing an announcement over the public-address system which first alerted visitors to a “serious” incident.
Thousands of people are said to have been here on Saturday night to enjoy what should have been a fun night.
It is now the scene of a police investigation.
At first, Seacamb said it had treated six children but later confirmed the number was eight – although there is no official confirmation of their ages.
The fireworks display was abandoned shortly after the children were injured.
Image copyright
Andy Datson/Twitter
A firework event was due to take place before the children were injured
Eyewitness Oliver Trimble told the BBC a message went over the event’s loudspeakers announcing the evacuation shortly before 20:00.
He said he saw victims being treated by medics, adding: “It was quite a horrendous sight to see.
“This is one of Woking’s biggest events of the year, thousands of people come to see the fireworks,” he said.
Local musician Anna Neale said she had planned to take her daughters, aged 10 and six, on the giant slide after the fireworks.
“We saw all the blue lights and saw the air ambulance arriving. We all evacuated very calmly. Everyone was just shocked,” the 36-year-old said.
Image copyright
Andy Datson/PA
“Multiple crews” from South East Coast Ambulance Service were at the scene
Image copyright
Andy Datson/Twitter
Police have launched an investigation into the incident
Event organisers Woking District Rotary Club tweeted: “We are all very shocked and distressed by events in the funfair.
“We are focussing in badisting the emergency services in dealing with the injured children.
“Our thoughts are with the children and their families at the moment,” it added.
The park will remain closed on Sunday as police investigate the cause of the incident, the club added.
Officers have appealed for any eyewitnesses or those with video or photos of what happened to contact them.
Image copyright
Oliver Trimble
Woking Park in Surrey was evacuated after following the collapse
Mark John, from Airquee, an organisation that inspects inflatables, said the items should go through rigorous checks to ensure they are safe.
“Inspections can take anything from a minimum of 45 minutes right up to several hours,” he said.
“As people are aware lately there’s a lot of emphasis on making sure the anchor points are in place and intact as they should be for protection against gusts of wind or strong winds.”
an inflatable slide at a funfair near me just collapsed and loads of kids are seriously injured !!! my heart goes out to everyone affected and I’m praying for them to recover soon❤️
— rara (@aestheticdolxnx) November 3, 2018
End of Twitter post by @aestheticdolxnx
Joe Mercer, general secretary of the Showmen’s Guild, told the BBC: “This slide has up-to-date test certificates and insurance documents, these have been provided to police. Our members are fully co-operating with the authorities; no arrests have been made.”
He added: “Members of the Showmen’s Guild operate equipment at fairs to strict safety standards that are subject to HSE scrutiny. Our thoughts are with those affected by this incident.”
A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive said: “We are aware and making initial enquiries.”
Woking Fireworks tweeted it was “really pleased” the injuries were “not as serious as first feared”.
It said it would meet shortly to “agree next steps”.
Have you been affected by the inflatable slide collapse? Tell us about your experiences by emailing [email protected]
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
- WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285
- Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
- Send pictures/video to [email protected]
- Upload your pictures / video here
- Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100
- Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy
[ad_2]
Source link
