Three people are injured as circus-style seating collapses at Manchester’s Winter Funland
- Partial collapse of one bank of seats at Winter Funland, EventCity in Trafford Park
- People evacuated from the circus area during the first performance at 6.10pm
- Three people were treated by medical team onsite with no one taken to hospital
Families were left fleeing in terror as circus-style seating at Manchester’s Winter Funland event collapsed leaving three injured.
People described hearing a ‘massive bang as seats ‘collapsed underneath people’ at the Winter Funland, EventCity in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester.
The circus area was evacuated during the first performance at 6.10pm after a bank of seats collapsed.
Pictures posted on Twitter show the seating collapse at the Winter Funland, EventCity in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester
Three people were treated by the medical team onsite with no one taken to hospital.
Ian Warfield, 36, from Haughton Green, Greater Manchester, attended the event with his wife Camellia, two-year-old daughter and son, seven.
He was sat next to the block of seating which collapsed and described hearing a ‘bang’ that resembled ‘dropping a metal pole on a concrete floor’.
He said: ‘We planned this expecting it to be amazing not terrifying. I was hoping this was going to be such a promising day but it’s been traumatic for my kids.’
Winter Funland said there was a partial collapse of one bank of seats (left). Three people were injured and no one was seriously hurt (right)
James Moakes and his partner Sofia Gomes were at the event with their two daughters and described seeing an ‘entire bench fall down’ and ‘about 20 seats’ collapse, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Ste from Widnes, Lancashire, posted three pictures of the seating collapse to Twitter and said the incident left him and his children ‘traumatized’ and said the images ‘do not show how bad it was’.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue service confirmed it was called to the event shortly before 7pm after reports that scaffolding had collapsed.
A Winter Funland spokesman said: ‘Today at 6.10pm during the first circus performance there was a partial collapse of one bank of seats, fortunately no one was seriously hurt.
‘Three people were assisted by the onsite medical team with no one requiring hospitalisation.
‘An evacuation of the circus area was carried out as per Health and Safety protocol.
‘The emergency services were called and are working alongside our onsite Health and Safety officer to commence an investigation.
‘Winter Funland will be open tomorrow Sunday 15 December for all attractions with the exception of the circus and Christmas show whilst we carry out full safety checks, our first priority is customer safety we thank everyone for their understanding.’
More to follow.