![]() ![]() It said there have been at least 22 deaths associated with amusement attractions in the U.S. It estimates there were 30,900 injuries associated with amusement attractions last year that required an emergency room visit. Consumer Product Safety Commission is also investigating. None has had a serious malfunction before, the company said in an email to the AP.Īfter the accident, fairs in California, New Jersey and Canada shut down similar rides before the company issued its order. ![]() Forty-three of the rides, also known as the Afterburner, are in use around the world, 11 of them in the U.S., according to KMG. The ride’s manufacturer, KMG, said the one at the Ohio fair was built in 1998 in the Netherlands. It said Fire Ball had been checked by its staff and independent inspectors before the fair opened.įire Ball swings 24 riders back and forth like a pendulum 40 feet above the ground while they sit in four-seat carriages that spin at 13 revolutions a minute, according to the company’s website. ![]() “I can’t tell you with a matter of certainty how many days or weeks this will take,” he said.Īmusements of America, the company that provides rides to the state fair, said it is committed to working with investigators to determine the cause. Paul Pride of the State Highway Patrol said inspectors are “basically going to do an autopsy on that machine” to figure out why it malfunctioned. He said that some work on all the rides was delayed by heavy rains last week but that the inspections were completed and not rushed.Ĭol. Michael Vartorella, Ohio’s chief inspector of amusement ride safety, said the Fire Ball was inspected three or four times before the fair opened. Ohio Department of Agriculture records provided to The Associated Press showed passing marks on inspections of about three dozen items, including possible cracks, brakes, proper assembly and installation.Īll rides at the fair are checked several times when they are being set up to ensure the work is done the way the manufacturer intended, said Agriculture Director David Daniels. Records show that inspections on Fire Ball were up to date and a state permit was issued for the ride on Wednesday, the fair’s opening day. ![]()
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