Dubai: Social media users are furious after a ride at the newly-opened Askari Amusement Park in Karachi, Pakistan, fell apart on Sunday night. A 16-year-old died and at least 16 others were injured, as stated in a report published by Dawn, a Pakistan-based English newspaper.
Soon after the news broke, social media users started questioning the safety standards at the park and wondered whether the rides were even inspected before opening.
Tweep @SaraNaveed wrote: “Deeply shocked to learn about the #AskariPark incident. Despite being newly opened, the ride just came off. Why weren’t these rides thoroughly inspected before allowing the public to use them?”
Deeply shocked to learn about the #AskariPark incident. Despite being newly opened, the ride just came off. Why weren't these rides thoroughly inspected before allowing the public to use them?
— Sara Naveed (@SaraNaveed) July 16, 2018
@echqeu tweeted: “Askari Park incident is horrifying. A girl died and several are severely injured in the ride collapse accident. Who is to be blamed for the safety negligence? We want justice.”
Askari Park incident is horrifying. A girl died and several are severely injured in the ride collapse accident.
— HQ 🇪🇸 (@echqeu) July 16, 2018
Who is to be blamed for the safety negligence? We want justice.
Tweep @shazooism wrote: “Feeling so empty and sad because of the Askari Park incident yesterday.”
feeling so empty and sad cuz of the Askari Park incident yesterday.
— Shahzaib 🇫🇷 (@shazooism) July 16, 2018
@ThattObserverr added: “Askari Park was completed literally within a month. I was so shocked because of the kind of rides present there, it was impossible. But, well. Now the least they can do is to shut it down completely and change it into something better.”
The ride was around 40-feet above the ground when it crashed, according to a report publish in The Express Tribune, another English newspaper in Pakistan. The report goes on to state that no officials had visited the park up until two days before its opening, “as there were no laws governing such rides in the country”.
Video footage of the incident has been shared multiple times on different social media platforms, in which visitors are seen rushing towards the ride. Since the incident, Sindh chief secretary retired Major Azam Suleman Khan has ordered the closure of all amusement parks in the province for three days so a technical inspection can be carried out.
Tweep @ish_vah questioned the rides itself: “The owner bought the entire secondhand system... and erected it here in Askari park on 10 years lease. No inspection was carried out by the concerned department. #AskariAmusementPark”
While there is no confirmation on whether the rides were in fact secondhand, the park’s managing director, Shafqat Jafri, had told The Express Tribune that the machinery had been imported from China.
Commissioner Saleh Farooqui of Karachi confirmed that the government would bear the expenses incurred to treat the wounded people, as stated in a report published by Geo, a Pakistani news channel.
