Seven people have been hurt after a safety bar apparently failed on a fairground ride. One woman was taken to hospital with back injuries and a man suffered a broken rib. In addition, four teenagers were also hurt, suffering whiplash and injuries to their necks when the bar hit them. More than 10 people were reported to have been on the Miami Trip ride at the time of the accident.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have launched an investigation following the incident in Oldham. Witnesses have told how the safety bar came "flying up" while they were on the ride. One of the people injured commented, "The safety bar came up three times. We were screaming for them to stop it, I thought I was going to die."
The fairground, called "Blackpool Comes to Oldham", is billed as Europe's biggest mobile fun park. It is located at Hollinwood Avenue until early March and is run by Jan de Koning Fun Fairs. Mr de Koning said both the safety bar locked and the ride stopped automatically. He also said it had undergone a safety check a week before the fair opened. "The safety of our patrons is paramount. The ride has been closed and we have called in the HSE and the ride manufacturer. No-one came out of the ride, I must stress that. We are not really sure what happened. We know a passenger hurt her back and we called an ambulance as a precaution."
