Six People Injured in Amusement Park Accident at South Carolina State Fair

Columbia, SCSix people were injured in an amusement park accident at the South Carolina State Fair on October 12 as a result of a broken metal sealing on a ride, according to the Myrtle Beach Sun. 

Officials from the State Fair immediately closed the ride as a result of the accident, as six people suffered injuries due to metal sealing breaking loose and flying into the crowd. The projectile hit bystanders after being propelled into a mass of people, the news source reported.

"There is a natural anticipation in such instances about when a ride will reopen," Gary Goodman, manager of the State Fair, told the Sun. "[The state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation] has the final say as to when that will happen. That's out of our hands."

An investigation has reportedly been launched as a result of the accident. Officials from the fair were pleased that no serious injuries occurred and noted that they were lucky to avoid a devastating incident.

The six people who were injured ranged in age from six to 20 years old. Five of these individuals suffered from minor cuts and one person had a bruised shoulder that required minor medical attention, according to the news source.

A group of local residents voiced their fears about the ride's safety following the incident, as the developments caused a stir due to the potential harm that could have been caused by the malfunctioning ride.

Columbia, South Carolina officials and citizens tried to downplay the incident, voicing their view that the accident was completely random and could have occurred anywhere, according to the Sun.

"There is always the possibility of an accident, whether we are riding rides or walking across the street," Darryl Humphries, a Columbia resident, told the news source.

According to WACH Fox Columbia, officials at the State Fair had previously decided to install cameras to help authorities monitor and document any incidents.

"We're constantly looking for ways to improve the management of crowd control and traffic control around the fairgrounds, and this gave us a really good opportunity to do that," Goodman told the news source.