A 27-year-old young woman died on the night of Saturday April 20 to Sunday April 21, after being thrown from a ride at the Blois funfair.
A woman died following a fall from a ride at the Blois funfair this weekend. Here is what we know about this accident.
The unfolding of the facts
Shortly after 11 p.m., Saturday April 20, a young woman was thrown from a ride. She did not survive her injuries.
According to the information collected so far, the victim was seated normally “with the intended protection device”, a type of barrier to contain the passengers. It is a question of understanding what happened with this device, why it did not protect the victim, indicated the Blois prosecutor, Charlotte Beluet.
An ongoing investigation
The town hall indicated, in a press release, that “a judicial investigation [était] in progress”.
The owner and manager of the ride was taken into custody on Saturday evening shortly after the accident, and “his custody has just been extended this [dimanche] evening,” Charlotte Beluet told AFP on Sunday.
“Investigations are continuing. The ride has been placed under seal for expert examination. Several witnesses have been interviewed and a video from a third party is being analyzed.”
Charlotte Beluet (Prosecutor of Blois)
The young woman’s family “filed a complaint against the New Republic.
The ride in question
The regional daily gives details of the ride in question, installed for the first time in Blois.
Its theme was the National Football League (NFL, American football, editor’s note) with, at its center, an enormous imitation American football ball, in the middle of a turntable equipped with nacelles fixed on the plateau and each capable of accommodating two or three people.
Testimonies question security
The Central Republic has listed various testimonials from people who have tested the ride in question. Many report a strong feeling of insecurity. They describe a lack of harnesses and belts to restrain the shoulders, unlike other similar rides.
“They took off from their seats and had to particularly hold on to the safety bar (which left space) so as not to tip over due to the speed and the rotation of the chairs on themselves, very fast,” specifies the newspaper.
“My 16-year-old daughter did this ride and fortunately her friend was there to hold her, because she almost fell too,” assured a mother on the Facebook page of The New Republic Loir-et-Cher.
The funfair will remain closed
Installed at the Blois Exhibition Centre, “the funfair opened its doors on March 30 and was due to end this Sunday, April 21. It will not reopen its doors today following the dramatic circumstances”, writes the municipality which “s ‘associated with the pain of the victim’s loved ones’.
The City specifies that it is particularly vigilant in controlling this funfair.
“Each year, the City mandates, at its own expense and without being obliged to do so, an external firm, approved by the Ministry of the Interior, to verify the conformity of the installations, in addition to the regulatory controls in force. A global certificate and one certificate per ride were issued.”
Municipality of Blois (empty)
Several people have died in recent years in accidents at fairgrounds or amusement parks.
Fatal fall from a ride in Clermont-Ferrand: “torn belt, human error…”, this is what the expert says
With AFP
