Surajkund fair continues as crash site sealed pending expert report

Authorities say fitness checks had cleared rides earlier; traders seek relief after shutdown while injured victims remain under hospital supervision.

District administration officials on Monday inspected the amusement park at the 39th Surajkund International Atmanirbhar Craft Festival as part of the probe into the pendulum swing crash that left one police officer dead and 12 others injured. Officials said the amusement park area will remain closed to visitors until the expert committee submits its report, while the rest of the fair will continue at the grounds away from the crash site.

Expert panel studying mechanical faults as arrests made; four injured in critical care, traders protest closure while fair continues beyond crash zone. (Subhash Sharma/Hindustan Times)

According to the Haryana Tourism department, technical analysis of rides, including field surveys at the Surajkund ground, will be conducted to determine the exact cause of the crash. “A report prepared by the expert committee led by the additional deputy commissioner Satbir Singh Mann will soon be submitted. Until then, the case property, i.e., the amusement park, will remain shut for visitors,” said Harvinder Yadav, the nodal officer for the event.

ADC Satbir Singh Mann said investigations will examine all aspects, including possible mechanical faults in the swing. “Our teams are considering all possible angles to find the root cause,” Mann said. The other four expert members of the committee declined to share preliminary findings.

Two men, including the owner of the company operating the swing, were arrested on Sunday after a 360-degree pendulum swing ride collapsed at the ongoing 39th Surajkund International Atmanirbhar Craft Festival in Faridabad on Saturday evening. A 59-year-old police inspector, Jagdish Prasad, involved in rescue operations died, and 12 others were injured. The arrested are Mohammad Shakir, a resident of Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh and proprietor of Himachal Fun Care, which installed the swings, and Nitesh (single name) of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Shakir’s associate. A police spokesperson said, “The two were arrested under Section 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).”

The closure of 72 shops in the amusement park has triggered protests from stall owners. “We had paid around ₹5 lakh of the overall exorbitant rent prices charged for 11 shops in the vicinity; however, our staff was told to leave after the accident. The money won’t be returned to us, leaving us with no choice but to wait for authorities to act,” said Shravan Kumar, a salesman. His co-worker Praveen said no support had been assured to them since the shutdown. “My two rented stalls for the toy business, which initially gained traction during the festival, have remained shut for the last two days,” said Ram Lakhan, a trader from Delhi, adding he remained hopeful about recovering losses.

Around 11 to 13 food stalls at a court near the amusement park were allowed to reopen on Monday. “Once the field survey and inspections are finished, an alternative solution will be arrived at to resolve the problems faced by shopowners. No one will face any losses,” Yadav added. He said security at the Surajkund grounds remains high, with disaster management measures including ambulances and cranes in place for emergencies.

Inspector Pahlaj, in charge of Surajkund police station, said teams deployed for visitor security evacuated the area swiftly after the accident. “Prior drills and a coordinated effort helped in rescuing around 18 people. However, Inspector Jagdish Prasad and two other female constables sustained injuries when the second attachment of the ride broke down during the operation. While Prasad sacrificed his life for the safety of visitors, the constables are currently stable,” he said.

Officials said four of the 12 injured victims remain in critical care under doctors’ supervision at Supreme and B.K. hospitals. A senior Haryana Tourism Department official, requesting anonymity, said rides were routinely inspected by a nine-member team and fitness certificates were issued with no safety issues flagged on Saturday. Denying reports that no buffer zones were created between the 14 rides, the official said the amusement park was not congested and had adequate space for visitors. “Soil health at the installation sites was examined, and safety protocols were followed during the process,” the official added.

Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini announced ₹1 lakh compensation for those critically injured during the incident. Police have also announced a ₹1 crore compensation for the late inspector Jagdish Prasad’s family, along with a government job assurance for one family member.