Six children die in a bouncy castle accident in Australia. Prime Minister Morrison speaks of a “terrible tragedy”.
Update from Sunday, December 19, 2021, 8.45 a.m.: After an accident with a bouncy castle in Australia, the death toll has risen to six. An eleven year old died. The Reuters news agency reported with reference to the local police. It had previously become known that three boys and a girl aged twelve and an eleven-year-old had died in the accident (see initial report).
Two other children remain in critical condition, police officers said. The children fell up to ten meters on Thursday after a bouncy castle was hit by a gust of wind. The fatal accident occurred on the sidelines of a celebration in a primary school in Devonport.
Australia: Five children die in an accident with a bouncy castle
First report from Thursday, December 16, 2021, 7.30 a.m .: Devonport – In an accident with a bouncy castle in Australia five children were killed and a few others were seriously injured. This was announced by the police in the city of Devonport in the state of Tasmania.
The bouncy castle had been hit by a gust of wind and thrown almost ten meters into the air. The accident occurred on Thursday (December 16, 2021, local time) at the graduation ceremony of a primary school before the Christmas holidays.
The four fatalities initially reported are two boys and two girls aged around eleven. Another child later died in the hospital. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison offered his condolences: “Young children who have a fun day outdoors with their families and then there is such a terrible tragedy,” he said. The incident was “just shocking” and “breaks your heart”.
Several rescue helicopters and ambulances were on duty at the scene of the accident. On television pictures could also be seen crying emergency services who screened the area. It was “a very confrontational and harrowing scene,” said Tasmania Police Chief Debbie Williams. The police opened an investigation. In the weather report only “light wind” was forecast for Thursday.
The elementary school in northern Tasmania had invited to the celebration on the occasion of the last week of classes before the Christmas break. Accordingly, water games, slides, a handicraft area and a bouncy castle were waiting for the children. After the fatal incident, the primary school’s Facebook page said: “An accident has occurred in our school.” The school will close “for the rest of the day”. “We urgently ask the parents to pick up their children.” (Lrg / tu with AFP)
