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. Pic: Haroon Jamil
People help others off the ride. Pic: Haroon Jamil
‘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.
A woman who was stabbed to death in north London has been named by police – as a man was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Pamela Munro, 45, was found with a stab wound and died at the scene in Ayley Croft, Enfield, on Saturday evening, the Metropolitan Police said.
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday and is in custody, the force added.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said: “Investigating officers have worked relentlessly across the weekend to investigate the circumstances around Pamela’s death.
“We continue to support her family who are understandably devastated.”
Police at the scene at Ayley Croft in Enfield
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The Met Police has asked anyone with information or who was driving through Ayley Court between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and may have dashcam footage to contact the force.
A “British man” has died after being beaten and set on fire by a mob in Ecuador, according to reports by media in the South American country.
According to reports, the man – who has not been officially identified – had been detained by police after being accused of being involved in a fatal shooting.
Ecuadorian news outlet Ecuavisa reported that the man had been taken to a police station Playas del Cuyabeno, a remote village in the Amazon rainforest.
While there, a group broke into the station and took the man away. He was then set on fire in the street, it is reported, and died from his burns.
The incident reportedly happened in the Playas del Cuyabeno area of Sucumbios province
Another local report, from EXTRA.ec, said that specialist police units had been slow to arrive due to the geographical conditions of the area – which is accessible by river.
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According to reports, police officers at the station apparently decided they could not intervene when the mob arrived out of concerns for their own safety.
It is understood the UK Foreign Office is following up reports about the incident and working with local authorities to confirm the details.
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