Five children died after an inflated, bouncy castle in their school was blown off into the air by strong winds in Australia’s Tasmania on Thursday. The children were thrown from a height of about 10 metres (33 feet) after the large inflatable castle they were playing in lifted off the ground, the police said, quoting eye-witnesses.
Those who died are three 12-year-old boys and two girls, aged 11 and 12. The accident occurred on Thursday morning, on an otherwise sunny day, during the end-of-year celebration at the school.
It was one of Australia’s deadliest accidents involving an amusement ride.
Three more children are in critical condition and in hospital in Tasmania capital Hobart and one was recovering at home, Tasmania police chief Darren Hine. Some 40 students were taking part in the celebrations.
Apart from the bouncy castle, several inflatable zorb balls too were thrown into the air from strong winds.
Authorities said on Friday they were investigating whether the castle was tethered to the ground before a gust of wind blew it into the air.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said there had been an “outpouring of grief” as well as support from Tasmania, the rest of Australia and from across the world.
The children were given first-aid at the school premises before rescue helicopters and ambulances arrived.
Police officers were reportedly seen in tears, and blue sheeting shielding what officers described as “a very confronting and distressing scene”.
