Two men have been arrested after a fairground ride “failed and crashed” in Birmingham city centre.
Two women were taken to hospital after the City Star Flyer ride in Centenary Square plummeted on Thursday night, while around a dozen other patients were assessed and discharged at the scene.
The men, aged 55 and 21, were arrested at the scene on the same evening on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers.
West Midlands Police said they remain in custody.
A police cordon remained in place around the ride, which is 55m high, on Friday morning.
West Midlands Fire Service said the ride “dropped to ground level whilst in operation”.
Pic: PA
West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “On arrival, crews found 13 patients.
“Two women were treated by ambulance staff for injuries not believed to be serious and conveyed to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
“Nine women and three men were assessed by medics before being given self-care advice and discharged at the scene.”
The scene after the incident
People help others off the ride
‘We were having fun and then it just crashed’
A woman who was injured described the moment the ride dropped to the ground.
Louise Brown, who works for the BBC in Birmingham, said she suffered injuries to her face, legs and arms.
“This can never happen again – we are in shock and all I can think of is what if my kids were on the ride,” she told BBC News.
“We were on it having fun and then it just crashed to the ground.
“It went backwards first though, which I’ve never seen it do before.”
She added that the ride was “still quite high” before it dropped and she “felt pain”.
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Emergency services after the ride fault. Pic: Mr Explorer
A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said they “appreciate the concern around this incident” and are working with relevant authorities.
“We also have specialists attending the site today,” he added.
“There will be an investigation to establish what happened.”
Danter Attractions, which manages the ride, declined to comment on the incident.
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