A major accident was averted after an inflatable Mickey Mouse swing collapsed at Thodo Ground on the last day of the national-level Shoolini Fair on Sunday evening, trapping around 15 children beneath the deflated structure.
The incident occurred around 7 pm when the giant inflatable swing suddenly lost air and collapsed, triggering panic among the parents. They rushed to rescue their children buried under the synthetic material.
Parents alleged that the swing operator and staff fled the scene instead of helping rescue the children.
Rahul Kumar, a resident of Una who had come to the fair, said his four-year-old son was also present on the swing when the mishap occurred.
“There were screams all around. Without wasting any time, we began removing the heavy material covering the children,” he said.
Rahul and another visitor, Pradeep Kumar, along with other people present at the fair, managed to pull out 12 to 15 children safely, preventing what parents said could have turned into a major tragedy.
Parents claimed that even a slight delay in the rescue could have endangered the children’s lives.
The aggrieved parents submitted a complaint to the police last evening and demanded registration of an FIR against the swing operator. They alleged that no FIR had been registered even a day after the incident and claimed efforts were being made to defend the swing owner.
They also demanded a technical inspection of all swings operating at the fair to avert such mishaps in the future.
Superintendent of Police Sai Dattatreya Varma confirmed that a complaint had been received and said the cause of the accident was being examined.
The case has also exposed lack of adherence to the safety protocols as the municipal corporation which collects huge fee for permitting these swings neither has the expertise nor the staff to address safety concerns.
