Five people were injured from a malfunction involving the Vortex ride at the North Carolina State Fair Thursday night.
The victims, ranging in age from 14 to 39, were transported to WakeMed hospitals in Raleigh, said Brian Long, the State Fair spokesman. Two are critically injured. Some of the injured could be family members, said Donnie Harrison, Wake County sheriff.
Harrison said an overnight malfunction caused the accident.
Harrison said the preliminary investigation shows that the operators and attendees were beginning to unload fairgoers when the ride started again.
Investigators are still unclear about how the victims were injured, but officials are speaking with about 30 to 35 witnesses, Harrison said.
One of the injured was a ride operator, he said. The victims have also requested to keep their identities private.
Harrison said state fair safety officials received a complaint about the ride Monday night regarding the safety latch on the seats. The ride was inspected, and it was confirmed that the ride was secure.
Although the officials are shaken by the incident, all are confident that the rides are still safe.
“I also still feel confident that my grandchildren can ride these rides,” said Steve Troxler, N.C. agriculture commissioner.
