Two men arrested after 180ft Christmas Star Flyer ride ‘failed and crashed’ leaving 13 injured
Two men have been arrested after a Christmas fairground ride “crashed to the ground” in Birmingham city centre at around 7.30pm last night.
The men, aged 55 and 21, were arrested at the scene on Thursday evening on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers.
West Midlands Police confirmed that the two men remain in custody.
The arrests come after two women were taken to hospital following an incident on the City Star Flyer ride in Centenary Square.
A total of 13 people were injured after the ride “failed and crashed”, with paramedics assessing and discharging 11 people at the scene.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We remain in Centenary Square in Birmingham this afternoon assisting the Health & Safety Executive after a number of people were injured in an incident involving a fairground ride.
“A cordon is in place and is likely to remain in place throughout the day.
“Two men aged, 55 and 21, were arrested at the scene last night on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers and remain in our custody today.
“Anyone with CCTV or mobile phone footage which may assist the investigation has been asked to get in touch quoting log 4290 of 12 December.”
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Danter Attractions said it was “fully co-operating with the authorities” as the investigation continues.
Louise Brown, who works for the BBC in Birmingham, provided a harrowing account of the incident, describing how the ride lurched backwards before crashing.
“It’s hard to process how one minute you can be innocently having fun and screaming in a scared way to then screaming because you could’ve potentially lost your life,” she said.
Brown suffered injuries to her face, legs and arms, while her colleague was also hurt in the incident.
“We were on it having fun and then it just crashed to the ground,” she recalled. “It went backwards first though, which I’ve never seen it do before.”
The survivor expressed concern about ride safety, stating: “This can never happen again – we are in shock and all I can think of is, ‘What if my kids were on the ride’.”
Witnesses at the scene described seeing injured people walking away from the area, with one observer noting “girls who appeared to be injured” and “one girl who seemed to have her face cut”.
Amelie Huet, 18, was in the nearby ice skate bar when the incident occurred.
She told the BBC she was drawn to the balcony by the sound of sirens, where she witnessed ambulances, police cars and fire engines arriving at the scene.
“Someone told us the structure dropped and someone fell out,” Huet said.
Another witness, Lilly Nitsch, 18, from Leamington Spa, expressed her shock at the incident.
“That’s one of my favourite rides growing up,” she said. “It makes me think of the times you’ve been on rides like that. It makes me feel lucky.”
Images captured by the BBC revealed wires from at least two gondolas had become entangled during the incident.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed it was investigating the incident, with specialists attending the site.
“We appreciate the concern around the incident and are working with the relevant authorities. There will be an investigation to establish what happened,” an HSE spokesperson said.
Birmingham City Council acknowledged the incident, expressing that their thoughts were with those injured.
Brian Hughes, chairman of Westside Business Improvement District, said: “While we are relieved to have heard that no-one has received life-threatening injuries, this must have been a terrible incident to experience.”
A spokesperson for Danter Attractions, which operates the City Starflyer, said: “Our thoughts are with the individuals and families affected by the crash.”
The company added it was unable to provide additional comment during the ongoing investigation.