CHENNAI: At least 36 people, including 15 children, were stuck 150ft above the ground on one of the amusement rides at the VGP Golden Beach amusement park in Injambakkam for over three hours after an alleged mechanical failure on Monday evening. All of them were safely rescued after the fire and rescue department arrived, a police source said.
According to the source, the ride with 36 people began around 6pm and as soon as it reached the top, it got stuck. Despite several cries for help, there was no response from the operator who was on the ground, said a woman who was rescued.
The police said that the park personnel had tried to handle the situation themselves at first, utilising a crane that was present on the premises. However, as the machine could not reach the height, the fire department was notified, and a rescue unit arrived with a sky-lift vehicle designed to extend up to 150ft. One of the people who was stuck on the ride even took to social media to share his ordeal.
Speaking to a TV channel, Parthiselvam said, “The ride started around 6pm and only at 8:30pm the police and the fire department came to the scene. There was no response from the VGP management.”
As the rescue operations were underway, Sangeetha, who was present at the scene, told the media, “Our group finished the same ride just before them. Even when our group was on the ride, it got stuck for nearly 20 minutes. Shouldn’t the operator have checked the machine or stopped the ride entirely?”
One of the girls who was rescued said it had become a bit difficult to breathe at the top.
“All of them have been safely rescued,” a senior police officer said. Initial probe by the police suggests that the ride was not maintained properly and there were mechanical issues that may have been ignored.