A joyful ride turned into a nightmare when a giant swing suddenly snapped and collapsed at a fair in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua town on Monday, injuring 14 students at a local government school, including 13 girls, a senior official said.

District collector Neha Meena told reporters that the ‘Dragon Swing’ at the ‘Maharaj No Melo’ (Maharaj’s Fair), being held near the Government School of Excellence in Jhabua, suddenly collapsed while in operation.

She said 14 children riding on the swing – 13 girls and a boy – all students at the School of Excellence, were injured and admitted to the Jhabua district hospital.

After meeting the children admitted to the hospital, Meena said, “Two girls complained of serious injuries. Doctors are monitoring their health.”

If necessary, both girls will be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, said the collector.

The collector said an administrative team has been sent to the accident site to investigate, and if any negligence is found in allowing operation of the swing, necessary action will be taken.

According to eyewitnesses, the ‘Dragon Swing’, packed with schoolchildren, collapsed while descending rapidly.

They said people attending the fair pulled the injured children out and assisted the administration in taking them to the hospital.