A tragic accident took place on Saturday evening at the 39th Surajkund International Atmanirbhar Craft Festival in Faridabad. A high-speed pendulum swing ride broke down and collapsed. A police inspector died and at least 13 people suffered injuries.

The incident was not the only mishap that night. About an hour earlier, Gate number 2 at the fairground reportedly collapsed and injured a visitor.

According to a PTI report, the injured visitor was Sumit Malhotra from Sector 28. A child also got hurt. Police took both of them to BK Hospital for treatment.

Swing breaks mid-ride

The swing accident happened around 6.15 pm. Around 26 people were on the ride at that time. The ride suddenly malfunctioned and created panic.

Inspector Jagdish Prasad (59) died in the incident. He was part of the police team deployed at the mela. Twelve others, including two women constables, got injured.

Inspector died while saving people

Senior officials said Inspector Jagdish Prasad was posted in the police lines at Palwal. He was in charge of security at the swing complex. He was a native of Mathura and was set to retire in March.

Police said the swing was moving very fast when one side suddenly broke. It remained hanging about 2–3 feet above the ground. Shopkeepers and police personnel rushed to help. Inspector Prasad also joined the rescue.

“Several people had been taken off the swing and people nearby supported the fallen portion and helped in rescuing people. Suddenly, the swing broke from the other end as well and fell completely to the ground,” a senior officer said.

Many people got trapped under the ride. “The officer tried to save people and showed great bravery, but in the process he received severe injuries to his face and head, leading to his death,” the official added, reported PTI.

An eyewitness said police officers and members of the public ran towards the ride without thinking about their own safety. “Prompt action by police helped save several lives,” he said.

Police said Inspector Prasad joined the Haryana Armed Police in 1989. He completed 36 years of service. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. All three children are students.

Officials reach spot, rescue begins

Deputy Commissioner Ayush Sinha and MD Tourism Parth Gupta reached the spot soon after the accident. Teams started rescue operations immediately. Authorities arranged treatment for the injured.

The injured included ASI Neelam, Sunil from Mahendragarh, Harsh Prakash from Greater Noida, Prashant from Dholpur in Rajasthan, Anisha from Faridabad, and Shivani and Parvinder from Noida Sector-78. A stall operator, Raghav, also got injured when a swing grill hit his shoulder during the rescue.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed grief over the tragedy. In a post on X, he offered condolences to the family of the deceased. He also said officials must ensure proper and immediate treatment for the injured.

“The Haryana government is working with utmost urgency and sensitivity to provide all possible assistance to the injured and their families,” he said.