A day supposedly filled with happiness and enjoyment has turned into an absolute terror when a horrifying scene unfolded at Seville's famous annual fair, the Feria de Abril, on Friday evening, 24 April, in Spain, as the cable holding a slingshot ride snapped midair.
Horrifying footage capturing the moment a support cable snapped has gone viral, showing a metal capsule carrying two children plummeting towards the ground after striking a support structure. The incident has leftfour people injuredand prompted an immediate investigation.
The fairground ride slingshot is not for the faint-hearted, propelling a two-person capsule more than 300 feet into the air at speeds of up to 100mph using a spring-propulsion system and elastic cables.
At Seville's annual fair, one such ride, known as 'Steel Max', located along the attractions strip known as Calle del Infierno (Street of Hell), drew in two brave kids willing to take on the challenge. But what was meant to be a thrilling experience has quickly turned into a frightening ordeal. At around 8:20pm on Friday, something went wrong.
A now-viral video shows the capsule shooting skyward before a primary cable snapped during the rebound. The sudden loss of tension sent the capsule swinging violently out of control, slamming into the ride's support beams before eventually coming to a stop near the ground. Onlookers could be heard screaming and shouting out: 'My God' in Spanish as the incident unfolded.
WATCH: Slingshot ride breaks loose at fair in Spain, injuring 4 peoplepic.twitter.com/EP6qC32hUt
Following the horrifying malfunction, local emergency services were deployed to the scene within minutes to secure the area and provide medical assistance. The Seville Emergency Service Department (SESD) confirmed via social media that four individuals sustained injuries during the malfunction.
'Four people have been injured of a mild nature, being treated on the spot,' the SESD stated in an official report. 'Emergency services subsequently transferred two of them, those who were travelling inside, to a health centre.'
The two kids who were reported to be riding the slingshot were hospitalised for further evaluation after their capsule struck the metal framework. The two additional victims were bystanders on the ground who were struck by falling debris as the cable snapped, as reported byThe Sun.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, the 'Steel Max' attraction was cordoned off by firefighters, while Civil Protection workers evacuated the surrounding area. An investigation was launched to determine whether the failure was caused by a mechanical defect, metal fatigue, or improper maintenance
Source: International Business Times UK
