Complaint against unsafe giant wheel ride at Karavali Utsava

A city resident has lodged a complaint against the giant wheel installed at the Karavali Utsava ground in Mangaluru and sought action against the operator.

In the complaint e-mailed to Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan and Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy on December 25, K. Mohana Murali said he took tickets for himself and his two children for a ride in the giant wheel on December 24. As the ride gained speed, the cabin in which they were seated malfunctioned. The cabin doors broke and fell down. They rolled violently inside the cabin for about 3-4 rotations and suffered injury as their cabin hit the adjacent cabin. They were at risk of falling from the height. They held on and the operator stopped the ride.

Despite the seriousness of the accident, the contractor or the ride operator did not come forward to provide immediate medical help. There were no first aid kits or Ambulance service available at the site. People gathered at the site helped in getting the necessary medical attention. Due to the shock, injury, and mental condition of his children, he could not immediately lodge a complaint. He was totally occupied on December 25 to attend to his injury and the trauma suffered by his children. As he had nausea, dizziness and body pain, the doctor advised him to take rest.

Accusing the ride operator of gross negligence, poor maintenance, and lack of safety measures, Mr. Murali asked Mr. Darshan to take appropriate action against the concerned. Unsafe rides on the giant wheel should be suspended to prevent any fatal accidents. Safety audit and emergency preparedness measures should be mandated for all amusement rides. He sought compensation for the medial expenses, damage to his personal belongings and mental trauma that the incident caused.

A district official in charge of Karavali Utsava activities told The Hindu that the operator has been reprimanded for the incident. At the time of the incident, the Ambulance had to meet another health emergency and hence could not immediately attend to Mr. Murali and his children, the official said.