Ride operated without permission

A day after 28 people were stuck midair for 40 minutes at an amusement fair ride on Sabarmati Riverfront, it has come to light that the fair organisers did not have permission to operate the specific ride. A case of negligence has been registered at the Sabarmati Riverfront (West) Police Station against the organisers for operating the ride without acquiring the necessary permission.

Permission on ly for other rides

The fair was organised by Bhavnagar-based Abhi Enterprises. While the promoters had sought the permission for the rides, the Drop Tower ride which malfunctioned was installed once all other rides were inspected. The organisers, without obtaining the approval, installed and operated the ride and put lives at risk on Sunday when it malfunctioned.

Twenty-eight people who took the ride and their family members breathed a sigh of relief after the firefighters carried out a brave rescue operation after the Drop Tower developed a glitch and left them hanging midair. Following the failure, the fair was shut down and people were asked to leave. The fair remained shut on Monday for the forensic science laboratory to carry out an investigation.

To organise a fair, permission has to be sought from Fire, Estate and Town Development Officer of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

Additional Chief Fire Officer Rajesh Bhatt told Mirror, "The organisers inducted the ride after they got approval for the other rides. They did not have permission to operate the amusement ride (Drop Tower) that malfunctioned."

M A Sinh, police inspector at Sabarmati Riverfront (West) Police Station told Mirror, "There was gross negligence on part of the organisers. While they had applied for permission for other rides, they did not get approval for the tower ride and operated the ride, which resulted in its failure on Sunday."