Safety risk stalks fun fair
Calcutta Telegraph, India
Jamshedpur, May 28: The accidental death of Santosh K. Gupta, who fell from a giant wheel at Disneyland Art and Handicraft Mela last evening, has raised questions about the safety of visitors at such fairs.
Not only the giant wheel, but other swings are also ill-equipped to provide adequate safety for revellers. Most of the swings do not have safety belts for protection.
The mela organisers have no provision for emergency exits — considered mandatory for public places like this that are visited by more than 1,000 people daily.
A staff at the mela said in spite of making repeated requests to the organisers for providing safety belts and protective rods, which were used in giant wheels about a decade ago, no step has been taken. “The organiser says if the manufacturing company is not putting safety belts, we should not be worried,†he said. When I made it an issue, said the staff member, the organiser threatened to throw me out of job.
Another staff member blamed the organisers for inadequate arrangements to fight fire outbreaks. “In case of fire, lives of everyone in the fair would be at risk. Neither are there fire fighting equipment nor are there emergency exits in case of a mishap,†he said.
Manager of the fair Chandra Shekhar said they have taken every step to ensure safety. “Seats of the giant wheel are bucket-shaped and the manufacturers have checked it. If safety belts were required, there must have been at least one casualty in the fair in the past 12 years,†he said.
Family members of Gupta, who was identified to be a resident of Sakchi and not Gaya, demanded adequate compensation from the organisers.