Tragedy strikes at an amusement park in Veyangoda

COLOMBO (News 1st): It is a common occurrence to see parents take their children to amusement parks during a school vacation. However, Are these amusement parks safe? Are the equipment maintained? Are they of necessary safety standards? This is a story about a tragic accident which was reported from Veyangoda today (Feb 4). A mother of three died and her 13-year-old daughter was seriously wounded after a merry-go-round crashed. The husband could do little as he watched his wife and daughter came down crashing. "They were on the merry-go-round. They crashed down on the third round. My daughter and wife crashed onto a concrete pole." - Husband of the Deceased The ride they were on -known as 'the octopus'- can accompany 15 riders at a time. Machine operators told the police that about 10 riders were on board at the time of the accident. It is said that one part of this machine is raised to a height of 5 to 6 feet. "As soon as they crashed down, I stopped the machine and took them on the vehicle" - Machine Operator. However, the husband of the deceased had a different account of the incident. "They didn't stop the machine. Even after 2 rounds -still, they didn't stop the machine. even when I was pleading to take my daughter for emergency treatments, they simply didn't care. The crowd got together, arranged a vehicle and took her for treatments." The victim was a 47-year-old resident of the Siyambalapitiya area in Kotugoda. The daughter has been transferred from Gampaha District Hospital to the National Hospital due to serious injuries to her head. When inquired by News 1st, a spokesperson of the National Hospital stated that the condition of the child was serious.