Panic and chaos gripped the Bhainsaha (Chait Barni) Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar after a towering 60-foot swing ride collapsed mid-operation late Wednesday, leaving at least 30 people injured, including women and children.
Panic and chaos gripped the Bhainsaha (Chait Barni) Mela in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar after a towering 60-foot swing ride collapsed mid-operation late Wednesday, leaving at least 30 people injured, including women and children. Eyewitnesses claimed the swing was dangerously overcrowded with nearly 80 riders. It reportedly completed two rounds before unsettling creaking sounds began to echo. Despite people raising alarms, the operator allegedly chose to continue the ride.
Within moments, horror unfolded. The swing tore loose from its base and came crashing down, flinging riders into the air and trapping several beneath the twisted metal.
Rescue operations were launched immediately, with police personnel and locals rushing to the scene. It took nearly an hour to pull out those trapped. Six ambulances were pressed into service to transport the injured to nearby hospitals, while over 10 critically injured victims were referred to a district medical college. Two children remain in serious condition.
The Bhainsaha Mela, held annually along the banks of the Narayani River near a Durga temple during Chaitra Purnima, attracts massive crowds from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Nepal. Officials admitted that this year’s turnout far exceeded expectations.
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Preliminary findings point to glaring negligence, suggesting the swing’s base was weak and poorly anchored, making it incapable of holding the excessive load.
