Galilee children hurt when Haifa rollercoaster collapses

Roof and doors of ride collapsed at Haifa's Luna Grand amusement park; "It could have ended worse," says trauma doctor at Carmel Medical Center.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Dr Ben Dov 311 (photo credit: Carmel Medical Center)
Dr Ben Dov 311
(photo credit: Carmel Medical Center)
Nine children were hurt when the doors and roof of a rollercoaster collapsed and became detached in Haifa’s Luna Grand amusement park on Monday.
“It could have ended even worse,” said Dr. Daniel Ben- Dov, head of the trauma unit at Carmel Medical Center’s emergency department.
The accident occurred before 11 a.m., when the hospital was put on alert. A total of 140 first and second graders from a village in the Galilee were on a holiday in the Haifa area, said Yusef Rahman, who is in charge of trips at the school.
Ten adults were supervising the children while they were on the rides. Eighteen children were on the rollercoaster when the door and roof collapsed. All the children started crying.
Four who were hurt refused to go to the hospital without their parents, who were informed of the event.
Most of the children had bruises on their chest and limbs, and some had cuts, said Ben-Dov. Two children in moderate condition underwent Xrays and will remain under observation after they received blows to the head. Two more were lightly injured.
“I am so sorry that our holiday was destroyed and children were hurt,” said Rahman.
Ben-Dov said that when there are many children in one place and not enough supervision, such an event can end in a catastrophe. “Fortunately, this time it resulted in fewer injured and less damage to children. We hope that it will not occur again,” he said.