The Hindu : Front Page : 4 injured as roller coaster wagon goes off rails

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Monday, Feb 16, 2009
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4 injured as roller coaster wagon goes off rails

Petlee Peter

— Photo: M.Vedhan

RISKY RIDE: The track of the roller coaster that split into two after a bolt came off, at the Trade Fair in Chennai on Sunday.

CHENNAI: Four persons, including a woman, were injured when the wagon of a roller coaster they were riding, fell off its rails at the Tourism and Trade Fair on the Island Grounds here on Sunday evening.

One of the victims suffered head injuries requiring stitches.

According to police, the victims were thrown off the roller coaster and fell just a few feet before the marshy banks of the Cooum river.

The ride was being run by a private operator.

The incident occurred around 7.45 p.m. after a bolt holding the rails on which the coaster was operated, came off. This resulted in the track splitting into two and a wagon in which the victims were travelling derailed.

Police said Rajinikanth (30) of K. K. Nagar, his uncle Gopalram (58) and Mohan (38) of Old Washermenpet and his wife Geetha (30) had been half way through the ride when the last wagon came off the rails. The injured were rushed to a private hospital in Aminjikarai.

Committee on safety

Following a similar accident in an amusement park on East Coast Road a year ago, the State government had appointed a committee headed by the then Chief Secretary L.K.Tripathy. It was asked to examine the need for more safety-related features in such amusement rides. Though the committee met several times, it did not prescribe any standards, an official source said.

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