Children fall to their death in freak inflatable castle accident
Four children were killed and several others injured after an inflatable bouncy castle at a school in Tasmania, Australia was swept up by a strong wind and dropped from 10 meters.
A strong wind event caused the inflatable bouncy castle at Hillcrest Primary School to “lift into the air,” and several school children “fell from a height of about 10 metres” on Thursday morning, killing four, according to Tasmania Police.
Four other children are reportedly in critical condition and were transported to the hospital by helicopter.
Tasmania Police Commander Debbie Williams called the accident “a very tragic event” and said there was “no doubt that this has been a very confronting and distressing scene.”
The school closed immediately after the accident and photographs taken by ABC News showed responding police officers struggling emotionally at the scene.
Just devastating. Tasmania Police have now confirmed two children have died and several others are critically injured after wind picked up a jumping castle and threw it into the air at a Tasmanian primary school. 📷: @MonteBovill for @abcnewshttps://t.co/kEcXslNdGApic.twitter.com/x0mOS8wCDZ
— ABC Hobart (@abchobart) December 16, 2021
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison issued a statement on Thursday, offering his prayers to “the family and friends of the children who lost their lives, the injured, the first responders and all those who witnessed this deeply distressing event.”
“My heart is breaking for all those impacted by the tragedy at Hillcrest Primary School in Tasmania today,” he wrote.
