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| Authorities stand near the Fire Ball amusement ride after Tyler Jarrell, 18, was killed and seven other people were injured when the thrill ride broke apart and flung people into the air at the Ohio State Fair. |
The Dutch manufacturer of an amusement ride that broke apart at the Ohio
State Fair, killing one person and injuring seven others, on Thursday ordered
that the attractions be shut down worldwide until further notice.
The company, KMG, confirmed a passenger-carrying gondola detached from
the supporting arm of the ride, called Fire Ball, on Wednesday evening at a
fair in Columbus, the capital of the midwestern US state.
The ride is a pendulum swing with rows of seats attached by spokes. The
company urged all operators of that particular model also known as Afterburner
or FRB24 to cease operations immediately.
"We are currently gathering information on the accident and
investigating the cause and circumstances," the company said in a
statement.
18-year-old Tyler Jarrell was killed when he was thrown from the ride
and landed 50 feet (15 meters) away, Ohio officials said.
Jarrell was a high school senior who had recently enlisted in the US
Marine Corps, according to The Columbus Dispatch newspaper.
Seven others ages 14 to 42 were injured. Some were struck by debris
while others were on the section that broke off, officials said.
"I think about that moment when some were thrown from that
carriage. That's a nightmare," Ohio Governor John Kasich told a news
conference at the fairgrounds.
"I don't want to speculate on what caused this, because we have to
do the full and complete investigation," he said.
Two people remained in critical condition and another in serious
condition after multiple surgeries, according to the Wexner Medical Center.
The ride had passed an inspection this week, according to state records.
Paul Pride, chief of Ohio's state police force, which is running the
investigation, appealed for help to assess the ride and what went wrong.
"We're kind of looking across the country to make sure that we get
the right folks in here to give us an independent view of the machine, the
process, everything," Pride said.
All rides at the fair remained closed while inspectors reinspected them.
The ride's operator, New Jersey-based
Amusements of America, did not return requests for comment.
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