The Star Flyer fairground ride, erected at as part of a Christmas attraction in Birmingham city centre, dropped to ground level “whilst in operation,” the fire service confirmed
A horrified witness to the “collapse” of a fairground ride last night gave a chilling description as to what happened.
Two people were taken to hospital after the horror, which happened on the Birmingham Star Flyer ride in the city centre. Eleven others were treated by West Midlands Ambulance Service at the scene, which is in Centenary Square near the huge Library of Birmingham.
One shocked witness said: “It was all the way up there and it fell, the thing fell” as he explained the severity of the situation to a friend. His remarks are captured in a video, which shows the aftermath of the incident. It also captures members of the public scramble to free people stuck on the “collapsed” structure.
A woman is heard: “The ambulance is on its way,” in the footage, in which witnesses are also heard swearing in shock. Emergency services rushed to the incident moments later.
The ambulance service said the two people taken to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick, West Midlands, were not believed to have suffered serious injuries, while the remaining casualties were discharged at the scene.
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But the video, published by The Sun, appeared to show wires from two of the swings tangled up. The publication also reports one bystander could be heard saying there was “blood on someone’s face”.
A large police cordon remained around the scene throughout the night. The force urged people to stay away but said it believed no one suffered any serious injuries.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service said: “This incident involved a fairground ride that had failed and crashed. The ride dropped to ground level whilst in operation.”
After the incident, Birmingham City Council issued a statement saying: “We’re aware of the incident in Centenary Square. Our thoughts are with those who have been injured and wish them a speedy recovery. Our emergency planning officers are the scene to support emergency services if required.” Danter Attractions, who manage the ride, declined to comment when contacted about the incident.
