A view of the Tsunami Drop, 40 metres high drop tower, seen inside Energylandia amusement park. Energylandia, the largest amusement park in Poland, opened for 2020 Season 2020 after a 'break' caused by the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, June 7, 2020, in Zator, Oswiecim County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A video showing the terrifying moment a packed amusement ride malfunctioned gripped social platforms over the weekend. The 30-second clip begins with the riders ascending to the top of the tower. Just before reaching the tip, the ride lingers for a few seconds.
Then, in its usual manner, it begins to free fall. But, things took a scary turn when the speed increased, and the ride rammed straight into the platform below it. Reports say the drop was about 50 feet.
The video shows safety harnesses popping open as screams fill the air. Decorative lights on the tower ride popped off from the impact. A few riders stod up, while others remained strapped in place.
On the ground, a few people lingered behind. Some ran out of the camera frame. Dust from the park grounds lifts into the air from the slam and runners.
TV journalist Nikhil Choudhary shared the clip on Twitter on September 4. The incident happened at a traveling fair named London Bridge in Mohali, India.
By Tuesday, users had seen the video over 9.5 million times. At the time, Nikhil wrote, “16 women and kids were hospitalized after the incident.”
According to NBC News, Mohali Deputy Superintendant of Police Harsimran Singh Bal confirmed the date and number of injured in the tower malfunction.
Medical professionals treated people for injuries to the spine, nose, jaw, and cervical area, per The Times of India. An organizer of the fair also spoke out about the tower malfunction.
“It seems to be a technical snag,” Sunny Singh said. “We have been organizing fairs at many places, but such an incident has never happened.”
