Jolly ride breaks down at Tontadarya Mutt Jatra, injuring 17

Pic: man, who was injured at Tontadarya Mutt Jatra, is being treated at GIMS Hospital in GadagGadag: Town police have registered a case against Tontadarya Mutt Jatra organisers in connection with an incident when an amusement ride broke, wherein 17 people were injured on Sunday night.Police said they have booked a case against Jatra committee chairman Vinayak Manvi, Tontadarya Mutt manager MS Angadi, and other organisers such as Parashuram Samagar, Vishwanath Doddamani, Noorahmed Dharwad, Narayan Doddamani, Mallu Badan, and others.The mishap occurred when tourists and locals were enjoying a tall amusement ride installed for the jatra. A part of the ride suddenly broke off while it was spinning at high speed and fell to the ground. Consequently, several people fell from a height and landed in a pool of blood, creating a moment of panic and screams at the festival grounds.Many were trapped under the amusement, and jatra visitors brought them out using their mobile torches. Among the injured, two kids were seen with bleeding on their heads. As soon as the incident occurred, alert citizens and police present at the scene attended to the rescue operation. With the help of the public, the injured were transported to the Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital using ambulances and private vehicles.GIMS director Dr Basavaraj Bommanahalli told TOI that among the injured, the condition of one person was critical and we referred him to KMC-RI Hospital, Hubballi. "The remaining 16 persons are out of danger, and they are being treated," he stated.Condemning the incident, right-wing activist Raju Khanappanavar staged a dharna on Mutt premises and said Hindu organisations have been demanding that the Math not allow amusement parks for a month. "They should be curbed for a week," he added.The chariot festival was held on April 2. Since Jatra is a major regional event, amusement park rides and stalls will be set up for over a month.Office bearers of Tontadarya Jatra Committee said that the contract to the amusement agency was supposed to end by May 9. "We have been holding Jatra for over a month for decades in the larger interest of devotees. As it will be the summer holiday season for children, amusement and stalls will be there every year. Since it was Sunday, the crowd was larger. The amusement was being operated at a height of 6 feet. We are told that it broke off after a technical fault. We never compromise on the safety of devotees," they added.