JEDDAH, 4 January 2003— A woman was killed and six people were injured in a toy train accident at an amusement city in Makkah on Thursday.
The injured persons have been admitted to Noor Hospital and King Abdul Aziz Hospital, Al-Madinah reported yesterday.
Rescue operations were carried out by Civil Defense personnel under the command of Col. Aed Al-Mahmadi, assistant director. Investigations are under way to determine the cause of the tragedy. Col. Mahmadi said all safety regulations stipulated by Civil Defense were in place at the amusement city except in the case of the train that was commissioned lately without the Civil Defense license. Persons responsible for the negligence that led to the tragedy will be punished after the investigations are over, a police official said.
According to Armand Johaily, a worker at the amusement park, the train was installed in the park last week and trial runs were made continuously over the week until it was opened for public on Thursday. The accident occurred on the maiden trip as the last compartment of the train came loose when the train was running.
Johaily said he believed that the woman sitting in one of the compartments must have made a strong jerking movement that resulted in her falling out on to the iron railing and immediate death.
The facility has since been closed down.
Commenting on the accident Talal Al-Gharbi, director of a leading tourist and amusement group in Makkah, underscored the utmost importance of safety measures when electrical machines are put into operation at amusement parks. Such machines required regular maintenance, particularly in peak seasons, even if they did not develop any mechanical problems. “There should be specialized action teams to undertake diligent maintenance work. A card should be stuck to every toy machine displaying the date of inspection and maintenance to avoid omission.”
He added that some customers are careless about the warnings and instructions to be observed when boarding such machines.
The security guards at the amusement facility where the accident occurred refused to allow reporters to meet its director, saying he was away on leave.
