KARACHI: The Sindh government has ordered that mechanical and electrical swings and rides in all amusement parks across the province should not function until a technical committee it has formed furnished its report about a recent incident in a Karachi recreational park in which a teenage girl had died and 24 others got injured, it emerged on Wednesday.

In addition to this, the provincial authorities have asked all the divisional and district administrations to inspect amusement swings and rides in their respective areas to avoid recurrence of such incident.

A notification issued by the services, general administration and coordination department cited the approval of the chief secretary by which a five-member technical committee was formed over the incident at Askari Park.

The deputy commissioner of Karachi East district heads the committee with senior superintendent of police, district East, director of local government, civil engineer of the local council concerned and a mechanical engineer from a well-reputed university as members of the body.

The terms of reference for the technical committee said it would ensure closing down of Askari Park till completion of report or evidence.

The technical committee has also been asked to find out whether proper standard operating procedure was followed while fixing or installing mechanical swings at Askari Park.

The committee is also tasked with finding out the authorities who granted permission for installation and functioning of the mechanical swings in the park.

The committee is allowed to co-opt any other member and submit its recommendations within three days.

Other districts ordered to form committees

The provincial services, general administration and coordination department has sent a letter to all commissioners and deputy commissioners inviting attention of the addressees towards the tragic incident that occurred in Askari Park on Sunday.

“That incident caused one casualty of (a) young kid and a number of (other) individuals sustained serious injuries (in that incident),” the letter said.

It said the Sindh government had already constituted a technical committee to investigate the incident.

It said the government had ordered that all mechanical swings should not function till the technical committee furnished its report.

“In the wake of this tragic incident, all mechanical swings shall remain closed till the inspection by the said committee, however, the public parks shall remain open,” the government order said.

The letter said the chief secretary of Sindh had desired that similar technical committees, with customised composition and terms of reference, be constituted in all districts by the district administrations to carry out physical and technical examination of all mechanical or electrical swings and rides installed in respective districts.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2018