8-year-old Jalandhar girl hurt as hair gets caught under car during go-karting

In a freak accident, an eight-year-old girl was severely injured after her hair got caught under an open-wheel car while go-karting at an amusement park in Jalandhar Cantonment area late on Saturday evening.

Even 24 hours after the incident, police had no information about the identity and whereabouts of the minor girl who is said to have been undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Investigating officer Kuldeep Singh said, “We did receive information about the incident and visited the spot, but the girl and her parents had already left by then. We are trying to locate the hospital where she is undergoing treatment.”

Another police official, seeking anonymity, said there were major safety lapses on the part of the amusement park authorities. Assistant commissioner of police (central) Ravinder Singh said, “Our team is trying to reach out to the victim’s family. Once they record their statement, we will take appropriate action.”

Jyoti Kumar, CEO of Jalandhar Cantonment Board, said he was not aware of the incident, adding he would get the matter investigated on Monday.

Pardeep Aggarwal, the contractor who runs the amusement park, said he was not present on the spot at the time of the mishap. “I have been told that there were three persons in the vehicle (as opposed to the prescribed limit of one person at a time), which led to the accident. It is an unfortunate incident and I will inquire into it,” he added.