Carnival and amusement park operators throughout the country have been ordered to stop using the Fire Ball ride and others like it following the deadly accident at the Ohio State Fair.
The Dutch manufacturer of the pendulum-type thrill ride — which swings riders 40 feet in the air and spins them at 13 revolutions per minute — sent out notices Thursday instructing operators to suspend use until further notice, according to Reuters.
“We are currently gathering information on the accident and investigating the cause and circumstances,” product manager Albert Kroon, of KMG International BV, said in a statement.
The Dutch firm specifically asked that “operators of all Fireball/Afterburner (FRB24) and Move-it (MVT24/MVT32) type amusement rides” cease operations immediately.
The request came as safety inspectors in at least five other states ordered the suspension of similar attractions — such as the Freak Out and Extreme rides — following the death of 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell on Wednesday.
The teen was one of several young people to be flung from a Fire Ball ride at the Ohio State Fair after the section they were seated in came apart in midair.
Officials in California, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and New Jersey reportedly have halted the use of all pendulum rides in the wake of the accident. Staff at an annual fair in Alberta, Canada, have even closed down their Fire Ball until further notice as well.
Similar attractions were also shut down at a number of amusement parks, in addition to fairs and carnivals.
California’s Great America, the Six Flags in Vallejo and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park have all shut down their Fire Ball-style rides, according to local reports.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reportedly has sent an investigator to the Ohio State Fair to probe Wednesday’s incident.
KMG International claimed in a statement that the “passenger-carrying gondola detached from the supporting sweep arm,” causing riders to go flying.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to all who were involved or affected by this tragic accident,” the company said.
According to the CPSC, there have been 22 ride-related deaths since 2010.
More than 30,000 injuries “associated with amusement attractions” were reported in 2016 — a 14.2 percent increase from 2013, which saw 27,054.
With Post wires