Video: Girl rescued after dangling mid-air on ‘over height’ Ferris wheel in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri

The incident occurred at the Jholhu fair in Lakhimpur Kheri's Nighasan Kotwali area where the girl dangled from the Ferris wheel for about 30 seconds.

A viral video from a fair in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district shows a girl hanging mid-air from an “over-height” Ferris wheel, sparking concerns about safety measures at the event. The incident occurred at the Jholhu fair in Rakheti Dehat village, Nighasan Kotwali area, on Wednesday, where the girl dangled from the Ferris wheel for about 30 seconds.

Girls seen dangling mid-air from Ferris wheel in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri(via HT)

As onlookers shouted for the ride to stop, the operator attempted to rotate it to bring her down. Despite initial missteps, the operator successfully rotated the wheel, allowing a worker to safely grab and rescue the girl.

Nighasan SHO Mahesh Chandra said that the girl has not been identified. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rajiv Nigam confirmed her safety and noted that the Ferris wheel, which had been previously ordered to shut down, was still operating without permission. He added that strict action would be taken against those responsible.

According to an NDTV report, the Ferris wheel, which was 60 feet high, lacked proper authorisation to operate. Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine how the ride continued functioning without necessary approvals.

Similar incident

The president of a fair committee and two Ferris wheel operators were charged following an October incident in which an 18-foot manual Ferris wheel's shaft broke during the Navratri-Dussehra fair in Gajraula town, Amroha district, Uttar Pradesh. The accident injured seven people, including four children aged 10 to 15.

According to a report by The Times of India, the committee president, Rameshwar Dayal, had obtained general permission for the fair from the sub-divisional magistrate, but Ferris wheels were not included in the approval. When questioned, the Ferris wheel operators, Abid Bakhsh and Imran, failed to produce any authorization documents.

The police charged the trio under sections 223 (failure to comply with public servant orders), 289 (negligent handling of machinery), and 125(b) (causing grievous harm). One of the accused has been taken into custody.