Viral video: Girl rescued after dangling mid-air from 60-foot Ferris wheel

Uttar Pradesh: A major accident was narrowly avoided in Uttar Pradesh when a 13-year-old girl lost her balance on a Ferris wheel and clung to a metal bar for nearly 30 seconds before being rescued by the operators.

A video from a fair in Lakhimpur Kheri district, which went viral, showed the girl hanging mid-air from an "over-height" Ferris wheel, raising concerns about the safety measures at the event.

The operator initially struggled but eventually rotated the wheel to allow a worker to safely rescue the girl. The ride was stopped and gradually brought down, with the girl maintaining her grip on the bar throughout the process.

According to NDTV, the Ferris wheel, which was significantly taller than its authorised height of 60 feet, was operating without proper permits. An investigation is underway to determine how it continued to run without the necessary approvals.

Following the incident, local authorities, led by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rajiv Kumar Nigam, arrived at the scene and sealed the Ferris wheel. Nigam stated, "After receiving the viral news on WhatsApp, we have shut down the Ferris wheel and removed its generators. No rides will be allowed until clearance from the district administration."