Police and ambulance crews at the scene following the slide collapse. Photo / Daily Mail
Police and ambulance crews at the scene following the slide collapse. Photo / Daily Mail
A fireworks event in Surrey has been evacuated following the collapse of a fairground ride.
Pictures from Woking Fireworks show members of the emergency services treating an unknown patient next to an inflatable slide.
It is understood that eight children were taken to hospital with a mixture of spinal andneck injuries as well as broken arms and legs. However despite the severity of the casualties, some disgruntled attendees at the event were quick to take to social media to request refunds, but have since removed the posts following outrage from other Twitter users.
Woking Police first said a Helter Skelter had collapsed, however, they have since issued a correction and said that it was an inflatable slide that collapsed, reported The Daily Mail.
Britain's South East Coast Ambulance Service has said that clinicians have treated six children on the scene for potentially serious injuries and that the patients were being transferred by air ambulance to major trauma centres in London. Approximately eight children have been reported to have been injured in the collapse.
In a statement police said: "Correction. Information is now that this was a giant inflatable slide, not a helter skelter. Thank you to all the public who have now left the scene. Your assistance is hugely appreciated. Emergency services still dealing."
Surrey Police had previously tweeted: "We've evacuated Woking Park this evening, where people were gathering for the fireworks celebrations, following the collapse of the Helter Skelter at the fairground. We are working with ambulance and emergency service colleagues. More information when we have it."
Serious incident at Woking Fireworks this evening. Whole park evacuated and event cancelled. Sounds like slide collapsed and children fell off. pic.twitter.com/dlTKlbjWwX
In an update from the organisers they said: "The park was cleared very effectively & emergency services are still in control of the site. We are preoccupied in ensuring the casualties are dealt with as best possible. The air ambulance is still on site. Our thoughts are with the children and their families at the moment."
The event was being held at Woking Park, on Kingfield Road. Gates opened for the event at 6pm this evening and the firework display was set to begin at around 8pm.
Woking Fireworks tweeted to apologise for having to evacuate the park. Photo / Twitter
Despite the events which have unfolded, attendees of the event have taken to social media to ask about the possibility of receiving a refund. To which Woking Fireworks responded: 'We are all very shocked and distressed by events in the funfair this evening. We are focussing in assisting the emergency services in dealing with the injured children.
"If you'll excuse us, we'll turn our attention to dealing with ticketing issues etc when we can?"
Tickets for the event were priced at £12 (NZD$23.50) for a family which would include two adults and two children, and this price was for attendees who purchased their tickets in advance online.
A family ticket on the night would have cost £15 (NZD$29), while tickets for adults of aged 16 or over would cost just £6 (NZD$11,50).
Organised by the Rotary Club of Woking District, the "Fireworks Extravaganza"' is considered to be one of the best firework displays in the South East, and in the past has been one of the most popular events held in Woking.
