A 12 year old girl suffered a fractured rib and spine after falling from a giant octopus ride at the Winter Festival in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima on the evening of Saturday, December 14. Four other young girls sustained minor injuries.
The 12 year old victim was admitted to Pak Chong Nana Hospital in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima at approximately 8pm on Saturday after falling from the ride. Medical examinations revealed fractures in one of her ribs and her spine.
The girl remains under close observation at the hospital. She is conscious and able to communicate normally but requires chest drainage due to air trapped in her lungs.
The victim’s 15 year old sister told Channel 7 that they attended the festival with four friends and only four of them went on the giant octopus ride.
The sister alleged that the ride operator started the ride immediately, despite the lap bars for the riders’ safety not being secured. She claimed that she tried to alert the staff, but they were unable to stop the ride promptly.
The sister recounted that she held onto the lap bar tightly while using her other arm to support her younger sister. However, she said her chubby sister was unable to hold onto the bar for long and was thrown from the ride. The victim fell from a height of approximately 3 metres after a few spins.
The sister added that she and her friends also fell from the ride, landing on the steel grille sheets beneath it and sustaining minor injuries.
However, the ride operator gave a conflicting account during an interview with Channel 3. She claimed that the victim did not fall from the ride as alleged by her sister. According to the operator, the victim completed the ride and exited safely but became dizzy and collapsed to the ground.
The operator expressed confidence in the ride’s functionality and insisted that the accident was not caused by a malfunction.
Pak Chong District Chief Kanatchon Sricharoen promised a thorough investigation into the ride and plans to question the staff further. The ride will remain closed until the investigation is concluded, although other rides at the festival will continue to operate as usual.
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