LAHORE – Amusement parks have been the ideal recreational destination for many who are trying to beat the heat in Pakistan. A few hours of joy and adrenaline rush is what families and groups of friends look forward to when they are planning visits to parks such as Joyland, Aladdin Park, Sindbad etc.
Askari Park is a new park in the locality of Gulshan near the central jail. It had kept a sound reputation since weeks. People had been visiting and enjoying the rides the park had to offer. There was never a dull moment there until recently when a ride collapsed killing one and injuring many in full view of the crowd.
Here is the footage that someone made right when the accident took place. The number of casualties are just outright overwhelming!
A 16-year-old minor girl lost her life in the accident. She was rushed to Dr. Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital and was later pronounced dead. Kashaf Samad was a resident of Sharifabad and she was pronounced to be dead even before she had reached the hospital. Over a dozen have been injured.
Karachi Deputy Inspector General (DIG) East Zone Amir Farooqi reported that bolts of the swing ride had come apart causing it to collapse. Really? We mean seriously? A park that is not even half a year old has not been able to keep this check on their rides, a check that was necessary and important due to the fact that it could be responsible for taking human lives if there was a dysfunction.
This is not the first time an accident like this one has occurred. Earlier, a similar incident in Joyland had taken place too. With all the chaos and not many reasonable places to go to, people often turn to these parks, but what is the management doing? Simply taking advantage of the public.
PTI leader Imran Ismail asked if there was an authority to look into the quality of swings at parks. PSP leader Raza Haroon termed it negligence.
Well, it is ultimate ignorance.
