Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The amusement park ride mishap that took place in Riyadh on Feb. 27 was caused by negligence and poor maintenance on the part of the company that imported the ride, according to the findings of the committee that probed into it.



The company, which was responsible for the accident, will be brought to justice, a spokesman of the Riyadh Governorate said in a press statement Tuesday, carried by Saudi Press Agency.



Some 12 children, aged 12 to 13 years, from Riyadh’s Manarat School were injured after a fall from one of the amusement park rides at “Metropolis” Panorama Mall. Riyadh Emir Prince Khaled Bin Bandar and Deputy Emir Prince Turki Bin Abdullah visited the children in hospital. The ride at the mall has been closed down until further notice. 



A committee was constituted immediately after the accident to investigate into it. The committee, which comprised representatives from Riyadh mayoralty, Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution, police, Civil Defense and the Health Department, also examined the technical report prepared by an expert panel from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and a specialized company. In a final report presented to the governorate on April 17, the committee noted that the company that imported the ride was fully responsible for the mishap. “The company committed grave errors in the maintenance of rides at the mall,” the report pointed out.



The spokesman said that the case will be referred to the concerned court in line with the directives of Riyadh Emir.



Prince Khaled has directed to ensure proper maintenance of rides in various amusement parks in the city. Earlier, on March 12, the Emir ordered halting operation of all amusement rides from the company that manufactured the ride, which caused the accident. The Emir also instructed that the companies that are operating rides in commercial malls and fun cities must comply with the instructions to carry out routine weekly maintenance and prepare technical reports about each ride.



He directed the concerned government technical committees to carry out surprise inspections and submit reports about their functioning. These committees have been instructed to halt operation of any ride that fails to fulfill the required safety conditions and standards, before submitting a report to the governorate.