Three people, including a four-year-old boy, were critically hurt after a ride at an amusement park in the southern Brazilian state of So Paulo plummeted to a platform.
Sunday night at Diego’s Park in the municipality of Itanhaém, an onlooker seemed to be photographing a boy seated in one of the ride’s seats as it was being raised off the platform.
The attraction, which was meant to mimic a NASA spacecraft, was held around 20 feet above the ground for one second before plummeting with great force.
The impact of the sudden collapse jolted the child, who remained restrained in his seat and did not fall out.
All three victims, including a woman aged 25 and her 12-year-old son, were treated by paramedics in the park before being rushed to Irm Dulce Hospital.
The child, aged four, sustained abdominal and spinal injuries. As of Tuesday, doctors were still analysing imaging reports to determine whether or not he would need surgery.
The woman and her 12-year-old son were both diagnosed with L2 vertebral fractures. They have been released from the hospital and will be required to wear a brace while recovering at home.
As of Monday, Diego’s Park remained closed as inspectors investigated the accident’s cause.
The fire department awarded a temporary permission to Diego’s Park, according to the local administration. It will expire on November 23.
According to a statement published by the Brazilian online news network G1, Diego’s Park has contacted the two affected families.
The amusement park noted that its inspection record for the structural and electrical safety of the rides was current and that daily inspections and routine maintenance were performed on every ride.
The accident will be investigated by an independent inspector, according to Diego’s Park.
The accident occurred when at least ten individuals were wounded on September 6 when the roller coaster they were riding crashed in a park in Maranguape, Fortaleza.
One of the victims said that the first two circuits of the track were uneventful, but then the vehicles produced a sound comparable to a crack just before one of the carts veered off the course while approaching a bend.
Authorities said that a defective component on one of the carts caused the accident.