Warning: The video below is graphic.
One man has been killed and seven people were injured when a ride malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus.
Five of the injured are in critical condition and the other two are stable, fire officials said. The victims range in age from 13 to 41.
They added the man who was killed was one thrown from the Fire Ball ride on Wednesday at 7.19pm local time, the fair’s opening day.
Dramatic video captured by a bystander shows the ride swinging back and forth like a pendulum and spinning in the air when it crashes into something and part of the ride flies off, throwing riders to the ground.
David Evans, medical director of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where three victims were taken, told CBS News that bystander videos of the incident helped medical staff to better understand the injuries. The victims, Evans said, appeared to have been ejected at a high rate of speed from 30 feet in the air.
“Having that video really showed us that this was a great force and a great mechanism, really consistent with a high-speed motor vehicle crash with an ejection, really something more along those lines,” Evans explained to CNN.
The Fire Ball is a mechanical ride that swings and spins passengers back and forth, according to Amusements of America, the carnival company in charge of the fair’s rides. The Fire Ball can swing passengers 40 feet above the midway while spinning at 13 revolutions per minute.
Ohio Governor John Kasich called it the “worst tragedy in the history of the fair”, adding “it’s a very, very sad night for all of us.” He ordered that all rides at the fair would be shut down until each one could be inspected.