A gut-wrenching video caught a carnival ride in Gujarat, India, collapsing on Sunday, killing two people and hospitalizing 27.
Six were charged a day after the incident for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, including the managing director of the amusement park, his son, and ride operators. Officials warned that others could be charged.
The Kankaria Adventure Park ride fell when a pipe of the main shaft fractured, bringing 30 riders down with it.
“How that pipe broke is a matter of investigation by Forensic Science Laboratory,” Chief Fire Officer M.F. Dastoor said.
The two killed by the ride have been identified as Manali Rajwadi, 24, and Mohammad Javed, 22. Fifteen additional people are believed to be suffering critical injuries.
“I have also asked the authorities to conduct safety checks and only then allow such rides to operate in the state,” said S.M. Patel, a police inspector. “The ride broke but we cannot say how. There are two very strong 20-ton, load-bearing ropes inside and we don’t know how they snapped.”
The ride, resembling a pendulum swing, reaches a maximum height of 66 feet and was over 30 feet in the air when it broke.
“We are checking aspects such as operation and maintenance of the ride,” said local deputy commissioner of police Bipin Ahire. “Even agencies responsible for inspection will be probed for accountability.”
