Fourteen schoolchildren were injured after a giant fairground swing packed with youngsters collapsed.
The dragon-shaped Colombus Swing suddenly gave way mid-action and slammed into a nearby wall.
Children screamed as they were thrown from the structure.
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Some left hanging off the ride were able to escape.
Shocking footage shows crowds rushing to help the injured children who lie sprawled on the ground and crying in pain.
Two girls suffered serious injuries and are being kept under close observation, while the remaining children sustained fractures, cuts and bruises.
Witnesses told local media the ride appeared dangerously overcrowded and unstable, even before it collapsed.
One onlooker said: “It looked weak even before the accident.
“No one was checking anything.”
The terrifying incident unfolded on Monday (19 Jan) at the annual Maharaj No Melo fair in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua district, central India, as reported by Need To Know.
Additional superintendent of police Pratipal Singh Mahobia said preliminary findings suggest serious safety lapses, with investigators focusing on overloading and the quality of materials used to construct the ride.
District Collector Neha Meena has ordered a magistrate-led inquiry, while a special team of engineers and police officers has been formed to determine how the collapse occurred.
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