Rajkot and other amusement park tragedies in India in the past 10 years

The Gujarat High Court, which has taken suo-motu cognizance of the Rajkot game zone blaze that left 32 dead on Saturday (May 25), has said it was prima facie a “man-made disaster”.

The special Bench observed that such recreational facilities have come up without the necessary approvals from competent authorities. Even as bodies are still being removed from the site, it has emerged that the gaming zone was running without a fire clearance.

But then, such “man-made disasters” at Indian amusement parks and fairs, mostly owing to lack of safety measures, negligence, and poorly maintained equipment, are nothing new. Every time such a disaster happens, some arrests are made and the facilities are shut down. And after a few days, everything goes back to usual — until the next disaster happens.

Here are some major amusement park disasters that have happened in India in the past 10 years, though this is not an exhaustive list.

1. Fire at Rajkot gaming zone TRP, May 25, 2024

As many as 32 people, including four children aged under 12, were killed and three injured in a massive fire that swept through a game zone called TRP in Rajkot, Gujarat, on Saturday. The amusement park was teeming with people enjoying a summer vacation outing on Saturday evening.

Officials have learnt that the fire was triggered by sparks from a welding machine at the construction site within the park premises. Ten people, including the manager, have been arrested while the owner of the gaming zone, which did not have a fire clearance, has fled. A teenage boy is the only survivor so far.

2. Wonders Park joyride accident in Nerul, June 3, 2023

At least five people were injured when they fell off an umbrella-shaped joyride at Wonders Park in Mumbai’s Nerul in June 2023.

This came right after the park’s inauguration following a Rs 28-crore renovation carried out by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

The accident happened as the safety harness worn by the injured snapped. One of the injured suffered a fracture.

3. Ferris wheel malfunctions at Ramlila Maidan, October 19, 2023

At least 20 people were trapped on a Ferris wheel at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi’s Narela for over two hours on October 19, 2023. Even before the fire services came to their rescue, a number of men put their own lives at risk and climbed the high frame to rescue the people stuck at the top.

Many passengers climbed down the Ferris wheel by themselves. Fortunately, no one was injured. The passengers included 12 women and four children, and all of them were safely rescued.

Even in 2022, amusement rides collapsed at fairs in Paschim Vihar and Karkardooma, leaving several people injured.

4. Mohali joyride crash, September 5, 2022

Ten people, including children and women, were injured when a huge joyride broke down and fell at the Dussehra ground in Phase-8 area of Punjab’s Mohali in September 2022.

It later come to light that the hydraulic wire of the ride had broken, resulted in the crash. There were 35 people on the ride when the incident happened. After the incident, the fair was declared closed.

5. Ferris wheel malfunctions at Sonpur fair, November 21, 2022

A 70-foot-tall Ferris wheel malfunctioned in Bihar’s Sonpur fair in November 2022, causing five persons to fall from around 50 feet. One person suffered severe burns after falling on a high-tension electric wire.

6. Kankaria amusement park accident, July 14, 2019

Gujarat had witnessed another ghastly accident in 2019 when a joyride called Discovery malfunctioned mid-ride at the Kankaria Amusement Park in Ahmedabad. Two people lost their lives while 29 were injured.

While the ride — a popular pendulum-style attraction — was operating, the load-bearing arm and cable snapped, causing the entire ride to come crashing down. The people on the ride fell from a height of about 20 feet.

7. Ahmedabad Ferris wheel snag, June 2, 2019

Only a month and a half before the Kankaria park accident, Ahmedabad had seen another accident involving a Ferris Wheel at a fun fare at the west end of the Sabarmati Riverfront.

Around midnight, the fire brigade, upon receiving a call from a person stuck in mid-air in the uppermost cubicle of the ride, had rescued 40 people stuck on the joyride. Those rescued included 14 children and eight women.

The Ferris wheel had developed a technical snag when it was at its full pace.

8. Kishkinta theme park accident, May 11, 2016

One person died and seven were injured in an accident at Kishkinta, a theme park outside Chennai. All of them were employees of the park.

Around 20 workers of the park were reportedly part of a trial ride on the new ride — the Disco Dancer — when it swung out of control. They later said they were forced to undergo the trial ride. One of them suffered head injuries and was declared dead at a hospital.

The owner and a manager of the park were arrested.

The park itself was not new to accidents. In 2013, a nine-year-old girl died there after falling into an automated swimming pool. In 2012, a flight attendant died after she was thrown off a ride at another amusement park on the outskirts of Chennai.