Woman dies in rollercoaster accident after seat belt malfunctions

A 24-year-old Indian woman died after falling from a rollercoaster due to a seat belt malfunction at an amusement Park in southwest Delhi.

Priyanka Rawat had gone to the park with her fiancé Nikhil Singh.

There were at least 16 other people on the ride when the incident occurred at around 6.15pm last Friday, local police said.

Rawat, an insurance worker from Chanakyapuri area of south Delhi, fell from about 20 feet at the Fun N Food Water & Amusement Park and suffered fatal injuries, police said. Her fiancé who sat next to her said the accident happened just seconds after the ride began.

“In his statement Nikhil said they took the roller coaster ride at approximately 6.15pm. As the ride started, Priyanka fell off, resulting in critical injuries,” Surendra Choudhary, deputy police commissioner, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

The rollercoaster was shut down immediately.

Police questioned the ride operator, supervisor and operations manager to find out what had gone wrong and a mechanical inspection of the rollercoaster was being considered as well.

Rawat was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.

Police filed a case related to causing death by negligence. “The investigation into the incident is ongoing. We have collected the CCTV footage and questioned the staff,” an unidentified police officer was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

In spite of the fatal accident, the park stayed open on Friday and Saturday, drawing large crowds, the newspaper reported. The amusement park’s owner, Santokh Singh Chawla, said it had been in operation for 33 years and this was the first such incident.

“We are cooperating with police in the investigation and extend our deepest sympathies to the victim’s family,” he said. He said that the ride on which the accident took place was immediately shut down. “When the incident happened, we quickly responded by sending the victim to the hospital in our own ambulance.”

The amusement park states on its website: “As a member of the World Water Park Association, USA, the Fun N Food Water & Amusement Park offers India’s largest collection of water slides and attractions for the toddler learning how to swim & to the water sports enthusiast seeking a thrill. Thrills, chills, and spills don’t miss them at the Best Water Park In Delhi.”

Several questions like what routine safety checks were carried out on the ride and when exactly the last inspection was done before the incident remained unanswered.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Chawla for comment.

Rawat’s brother informed police that she had been engaged to Mr Singh – a 26-year-old chef working at a supermarket in Cyprus – in February and that they were to wed early next year. Mr Singh had recently returned home to Najafgarh, west Delhi.

“Nikhil said he was scared and asked the operator to ensure they would be safe. The operator said he had been doing it for 18 years. When the ride started, Nikhil closed his eyes for 10-15 seconds. He then suddenly heard screams,” Rawat’s sister told The Indian Express. “He opened his eyes to see that Priyanka had fallen off the rollercoaster.”

“My parents work as cooks for civil servants. My father has been given a house. But it was Priyanka’s salary that was running the house,” Geetanjali Rawat told the outlet. “She paid our younger brother’s college fees as well. She also took a loan for my marriage and was still paying the instalments.”