TVM amusement park accident: Fire official came to celebrate daughter's birthday with family, lived a nightmare

What was meant to be a joyful birthday outing turned into a nightmare for Ratheesh, a fire official from Mavelikkara, after a skyride collapsed at Happyland Water Theme & Amusement Park in Vembayam on Thursday, leaving his two daughters injured.

Ratheesh was buying food coupons for his family when he heard a loud crashing sound. Rushing towards the source, he was shocked to discover that the giant skyride carrying his daughters, Thapsya (Class 8) and Thanmaya (Class 5), had collapsed. The family was at the amusement park to celebrate Thanmaya’s birthday. A cake-cutting ceremony had also been planned at a restaurant in Venjaramoodu after their visit to the park.

“We were a group of 11, including my brother’s family and our parents. We reached the park around 10.30 am and had been enjoying the rides before the accident happened around 1.20 pm,” said Ratheesh. At least seven people, including women and children, were injured in the accident.

Ratheesh’s brother Vishnu, a teacher based in Thiruvananthapuram, said he and his wife were watching the children on the ride when they sensed something was wrong. “We had already taken the ride earlier and were standing nearby watching the children. Suddenly, we saw the operator panic and try to control the speed using a lever. Moments later, a loud sound came from the base of the machine and oil or water started spraying from the centre,” Vishnu recalled.

According to him, the ride suddenly accelerated uncontrollably. The swing chairs collided with each other and struck nearby concrete structures, injuring several riders. “At one point, the ride almost touched the ground but continued spinning. Finally, the central structure broke, and the entire machine tilted to one side,” he said. Panic quickly spread among those gathered around the ride. Some bystanders attempted to catch the moving swing chairs and were also injured in the process.

Vishnu said Thapsya jumped from the ride after it came to a halt and sustained injuries. He alleged that the safety restraints on the chairs were weak and allowed riders to get out before the machine completely stopped. “The chairs were suspended using iron chains. One of the chains got wrapped around Thapsya’s neck, causing injuries,” he said. Thanmaya was rescued later with injuries, including a finger dislocation. Both girls are currently undergoing treatment at SUT Hospital in Pattom. Vishnu also recalled seeing a woman trapped beneath a collapsed portion of the structure with serious leg injuries.

Ratheesh stated that the park lacked even basic emergency facilities. “There were no first aid kits or ambulance services available. Initially, the authorities tried to transport the injured in an Omni van used by the park for internal services. People became angry and damaged the vehicle while demanding proper medical assistance. Our children were shifted to the hospital only after an ambulance arrived,” he said.

Both Ratheesh and Vishnu claimed that several rides in the park appeared old and poorly maintained. “Many of the machines made unusual sounds. Some looked rusty, and the rides lacked adequate safety measures. There were also very few security personnel,” they alleged. According to them, a worse tragedy was narrowly avoided when the ride collapsed near rocky surfaces and an artificial wave pool. They also alleged that the ride did not appear to have any age restrictions despite carrying children and adults together.

“This was supposed to be a happy day for our family. We are hoping the children can be discharged by tonight so that we can at least celebrate Thanmaya’s birthday,” Ratheesh said. He further questioned how the park could continue to operate despite what he described as serious safety lapses, adding that the facility had seen heavy visitor turnout due to the holiday and the upcoming reopening of schools.