Tragedy befell what otherwise could have been an enjoyable Friday afternoon for a 13-year-old girl, whose exciting moment turned for the worst as she was thrown off an amusement park ride in Chongqing, southwest China, allegedly over a faulty seatbelt.
The victim, known as Gan Tian by authorities, died of her injuries in a hospital caused by hurling onto steel railings after her seatbelt snapped while the ride - called "Travel Through Space," spun buckled merrymakers for 360 degrees continuously, ABC News reported.
The management of Zhaohua Amusement Park - where the tragic incident occurred, agreed to pay the aggrieved family 870,000 yuan for the girl's death, who was their only child. She was reportedly accompanied by her 9-year-old cousin at the time of the incident.
Visitors who witnessed the tragedy reportedly screamed at the horror of seeing the girl flung afar from her seat. The Sun reported that failure to impose the ride's rules, which bans children 12 years old below and under 120 cm, may have led to the girl's death.
The girl, alongside her cousin, managed to purchase tickets for the rather dangerous ride without being asked about their IDs or measured of their height--a clear sign of neglect on the part of the amusement park's management.
Local authorities are now investigating the incident, with the ride reported to have passed quality inspection in December last year, despite an initial report stating that no official inspection has been conducted on the ride since Nov. 2013.
To prevent further accidents, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine prompted authorities to suspend the amusement park's operations, as well as to conduct checks on similar amusement park rides in use throughout the country.
The amusement park, which spans an area of 29 acres, is a popular fixture among locals in Fengdu County, Chongqing. Watch the footage of the accident from CGTN here (WARNING: viewer discretion is advised due to the distressing scenes):