NEW DELHI: A fun outing at an amusement park in southwest Delhi’s Kapashera turned tragic when a 24-year-old woman fell from a ride and lost her life on Thursday. Police said the incident occurred due to a seat belt malfunction.
The deceased was identified as Priyanka Rawat, who lived with her family in Chanakyapuri. She worked with an insurance company.
Police got information about the accident from a hospital, where Priyanka was declared dead on arrival. They said she and her fiance, Nikhil Singh, 26, visited Fun N Food Water & Amusement Park in Kapashera on Thursday and rode a rollercoaster around 6.15pm.
In his police complaint, Singh wrote, “Around 12.15pm, Priyanka and I went to an amusement park in Kapashera on a scooter from her house in Chanakyapuri. We arrived around 1pm and enjoyed the water rides until about 6pm. After that, we went to the amusement rides area, where we went straight to the rollercoaster. The operators there sent Priyanka and me up together. My fiancée was seated directly next to me. Then the ride started and within seconds, she fell to the ground.”
Priyanka’s medical documents released by the hospital described lacerations on her right leg, puncture wounds on her left leg and multiple abrasions on her right forearm and left knee. After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the deceased’s family.
During the investigation, police discovered that the woman fell from a height of approximately 20 feet and suffered fatal injuries. Further examination revealed that the primary cause of the incident was a malfunctioning seat belt, which failed to secure the rider properly. At the time of the incident, 16 other people were also on the ride.
Following the incident, the rollercoaster was shut down pending investigation. The cops questioned the operator, supervisor and operations manager of the amusement park to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. They may conduct a mechanical inspection of the ride.
“The investigation into the incident is ongoing. We have collected the CCTV footage and questioned the staff,” an officer said. Police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s Sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 106 (causing death by negligence).
Despite the tragic incident, the park remained open on Friday and Saturday, attracting large crowds. Santokh Singh Chawla, owner and adviser of the amusement park, said that it had been operating for the past 33 years and this was the first time such an incident had occurred.
He said, “We are cooperating with police in the investigation and extend our deepest sympathies to the victim’ family.” Chawla added that the park took safety measures with suitable seriousness. The ride on which the accident took place was immediately shut down. “When the incident happened, we quickly responded by sending the victim to the hospital in our own ambulance,” he claimed.
