Navsari: In a tragic accident at the crowded fair at the Somnath Mahadev Temple in Bilimora, a 50-foot-tall tower ride collapsed late Sunday night, leaving around 10 people injured. The incident occurred at about 11:45 pm on the eve of the last Monday of Shravan, when the cable of the adventure ride allegedly slipped, causing the structure to crash down at high speed.

Among the injured are two women, two children, and the ride operator, who sustained serious waist and head injuries and has been referred to a private hospital in Surat. Others, including 14-year-olds Jash Rajiv Tandel and Dirgh Hemant Tandel, 30-year-old Roshni Vikas Patel, and 21-year-old Disha Rakesh Patel, are under treatment at a Bilimora hospital. Emergency teams from the Bilimora fire brigade and police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured for immediate treatment.

Authorities have suspended all rides at the fair until further notice. Navsari police have called in forensic teams from Surat and Valsad and formed a technical committee to investigate the accident. Provincial Officer Mitesh Patel said action would be taken based on the FSL report. Meanwhile, the Temple Trust clarified that it had only rented the temple ground for the fair and that the responsibility for technical inspections lay with the concerned authorities.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that Shivam Agency, owned by Viral Peethwa of Surendranagar, had obtained permission for seven rides at the fair. Peethwa, who is on his way to Navsari, said that the incident was unprecedented in his career. He added that the cable had slipped rather than broken and assured that a detailed investigation is underway.

The incident has raised serious questions about safety checks on amusement rides at such fairs. DeshGujarat