New Delhi/Chandigarh, Feb 7 Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday expressed grief over the accident during the Surajkund Mela in Faridabad in which a dozen people were injured.
“I express my heartfelt condolences to the family of the person who lost their life in this incident. At the same time, necessary directions have been issued to the concerned authorities for the appropriate and immediate treatment of the injured individuals,” Saini wrote on X.
“The Haryana government is fully committed, with utmost promptness and sensitivity, to providing all possible assistance to the injured and their families,” the CM said.
Reacting to the tragic incident, Haryana Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma said, "There were 13 people sitting on one side and 13 on the other. This is a very tragic incident. The Chief Minister, district administration, police, and mela authorities extend their condolences to the families. Unfortunately, one person has died in this incident..."
Nearly a dozen people were wounded, one of them seriously, when a Tsunami swing collapsed at the 39th Surajkund International Crafts Mela in Haryana's Faridabad on Saturday evening, the police said.
The swing broke due to an alleged mechanical fault around 7 p.m. when nearly 15 patrons were riding it, the police added.
"The swing broke and fell on the ground with a loud thud, kicking up a cloud of dust, triggering a stampede as visitors mistook it to be a terror strike," a visitor said.
Soon after the swing collapsed, the entire Mela ground was evacuated, and District Magistrate Ayush Sinha led the rescue operations with other agencies and oversaw the shifting of the injured to the hospital.
Officials of the district administration, police and the managing director of the tourism department also joined the rescue operations.
A probe has been ordered into the incident, an official said.
Earlier on Saturday, strong winds brought down a gate structure near entrance number 2, injuring a visitor who was rushed to B.K. Hospital for treatment.
The Mela, which was inaugurated on January 31, will run until February 15.
Last year, the mela saw participation from 44 countries, but this year, the event has surpassed expectations with more than 50 countries taking part.
Nearly 700 participants have already arrived, and the footfall is anticipated to exceed the 15 to 16 lakh mark witnessed in previous editions.
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