Boy, 5, killed on funfair ride

31 May 2013 - 02:40 By NIVASHNI NAIR
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Royal Show funfair
Royal Show funfair
Image: http://royalshow.co.za/gallery/?content/

A five-year-old boy, killed in a freak accident at the Royal Show funfair in Pietermaritzburg yesterday, had been excited about his school's excursion to the popular event.

The Grade1 pupil was declared dead a few hours after he had waved goodbye to his parents to visit the show with a group of Noshezi Primary School children.

Lieutenant Joey Jeevan, spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands police, said Simphiwe Mbense was riding in a "Music Box" car.

"An onlooker said the child seemed to look uncomfortable, like he was nauseous. He stood up and fell out of the car when he was side-swiped by another car," she said.

The child sustained severe head injuries and "succumbed to his injuries and died a short while later".

His mother said it was her son's first visit to the show and she had had doubts about allowing him to go.

"I wish I had never sent him," she said.

His father, Alphius, said his son had been ecstatic about the school excursion, and that the family was shocked and heartbroken.

Royal Show CEO Terry Strachan said engineers from Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal were on scene to inspect the ride.

"The ride has all its safety certificates to operate here and overseas.

''How this happened we just don't know," he said.

The ride has been closed pending the outcome of the investigation into the cause of the accident.

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