A prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the tragic amusement park death of a 19-year-old man who was killed when his cart detached from a ride at an amusement park in Pefkochori, Halkidiki.
The chief prosecutor of the Thessaloniki Court of Appeals, Nikos Kalyvis, has requested that the Prosecutor of the Halkidiki Court personally oversee all ongoing investigations to ensure they are completed swiftly.
According to public broadcaster ERT, the three prosecutorial investigations will attempt to shed light on the amusement park death by focusing on the following areas:
The extent of the responsibility of the individuals immediately implicated in the accident, such as the owner and operator of the ride.
The second probe will examine the responsibilities of the municipal services and the mayor regarding the lack of inspections this year and the licensing processes in previous years. The investigation will reportedly extend to past years and involves other services, such as the electricity provider (DEDDIE), examining how the park was connected to the power grid without the required permits.
The third aspect involves thoroughly examining official certifications granted to the theme park for the ride related to the suitability of the equipment from the engineers’ side.
The tragic accident has gripped public opinion in the country over the past week causing outrage over the lack of safety measures in the amusement park. The young man was on vacation with his family in the area and his mother and siblings were present during the fatal mishap.
He was immediately transported to a nearby health center but he succumbed to his injuries last Tuesday.
A report by ERT TV noted that the 19-year-old and his brother were on a ride called ‘Crazy Dance’ when his seat broke away, causing both brothers to fall.
The surviving sibling told ERT that the ride started off slowly but then started moving much faster. He felt his seat coming loose and told his brother, and at some point, he felt the entire back of the seat come off.
“In a split second I found myself lying on my back, my brother no longer next to me, and I am holding onto a metal bar. My brother was thrown from the seat. He wasn’t thrown far but with force, and he hit his head. I held on. All of this happened in front of my other brother and mother.”
The 58-year-old owner of the business was arrested at the scene, while the 21-year-old operator of the ride turned himself in at a police precinct in the city of Kilkis on Tuesday morning. The latter reportedly told the surviving brother before the ride started “I will make it go fast.”
