Muscat: In an amusement park mishap, eight people including women and children were injured after one of the electric games at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre collapsed on Tuesday evening.

As horrific as it may sound and look, this is not the first time that such an accident happened in Oman.

Mishaps at Amusement Parks

In 2019, tragedy struck at the trampoline park when a ten-year-old Omani boy met with an accident at the Clip ‘n Climb wall climbing activity. The boy fell down from a considerable height when he tried to lower himself after reaching the top. According to the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulances, the boy was severely injured and rushed to Khoula Hospital. Following the incident, the amusement park was closed down for safety review.

In 2016, an Asian boy suffered serious injuries after a fall in a ride in an amusement park in Muttrah. He was rushed to Khoula Hospital but he couldn’t be saved.

Then a 26-year-old man was also injured in an accident in an amusement park in Muttrah.

Reaction to the Accident

Following this week’s accident, officials said that they are doing everything to make sure that we fully understand how the accident happened, and how we can prevent similar mishaps in future.

The accident, however, has shocked everyone. “I’m pretty ashamed such a thing happened in Oman as there are security checks everywhere,” one of the citizen said. He also said that stringent actions should be taken if anyone is found guilty.

Child Protection committee

Meanwhile the Child Protection committee in the Sultanate of Oman has communicated with the concerned authorities to ensure child safety.

The Child Protection Committee in Muscat Governorate held an urgent meeting via videoconference, chaired by Sayyida Ma’ani bint Abdullah Al Busaidi, Director General for Family Development at the Ministry of Social Development, to find out the details and events of the accident in the square of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center in Madinat Al Irfan.

The committee has communicated with the concerned authorities to ensure the safety of the children, as it will work to provide psychological support and counseling to the injured children and their families, with the aim of mitigating the psychological effects of the accident.

The committee also called for the importance of providing psychological support to the children present at the event, by communicating with specialists via the child protection line 1100.

Source: Times of Oman