Ten people were injured, including six critically, when two gondola cars plummeted from a pendulum ride at a fairground in Ecuador over the weekend.
The terrifying scene unfolded when the cars suddenly broke off the thrill ride during the festivities in La Aurora in Daule Canton on Saturday night, JamPress video footage showed.
Onlookers fled screaming as the loaded gondolas came crashing down — with passengers still strapped in their seats.
There were blood spatters visible on the wrecked cars afterward, witnesses said.
Of the 10 injured victims, six were in critical condition with fractures and head trauma, according to local fire department chief Moisés Cano.
An initial investigation revealed that one of the mechanical arms came loose and caused the cars to detach, police spokesman Lt. Col. Ricardo Armas said.
The traveling fair was shut down and the faulty ride was cordoned off, he added.
The attraction had all the required permits and was in full working order before the collapse, risk management official Stalin Quiñónez explained.
“Unfortunately this mishap occurred, a very unfortunate event, but we do not know what caused it yet,” he said.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. The fair organizers have vowed to cover the victims’ medical bills.
