Birmingham Ride Incident Described as “Four Minutes of Hell”

Nadiya Allom, 25, recounted the experience on the 55m (180ft)-high City Star Flyer ride in Birmingham Centenary Square, stating, “We were having a fun time until those four minutes of hell… I just remember seeing my brother and hearing someone shout ‘there’s blood’.” She had been on the ride with her brother and sister when it unexpectedly lurched backward and then descended. The female passengers sustained injuries from flying glass, while her brother, Syek, 21, collided with the ticket booth, resulting in a head injury. Regarding the incident, two individuals, aged 55 and 21, have been apprehended on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers. The Health and Safety Executive is conducting an investigation into the matter. The siblings, who reside in Northampton, had visited the location, which also features an ice rink and a big wheel, to commemorate Radiya’s graduation. On 12 December, an estimated thirteen individuals were on the ride when it malfunctioned. Nadiya described the event, saying, “I just remember it was lowering slowly, and then a quick drop, and then my head started hitting everything.” Radiya, 26, despite experiencing fear as their seat descended, tried to mitigate the force of the impact by positioning her leg. She stated, “I felt terror, I was trying to protect us.” She added, “When we landed I just cried and felt really sorry because I took my siblings on.” Syek recalled that “everything was moving fast, then slow and then I just remember people running over to me asking if I was OK.” He further commented, “I just felt numb but also really tired like I wanted to sleep but I knew that was the worse thing you could do so I tried my hardest to stay awake.” He characterized the experience as “four minutes of hell not knowing what’s going on around me and not being able to get to my sisters but hearing them crying.” Two women were transported to the hospital, while paramedics evaluated an additional 11 patients, who were subsequently discharged at the site. Syek did not receive treatment at the scene but later sought medical attention at a hospital, where he remained for 12 hours. Louise Brown, another individual present on the ride, had previously informed the BBC about the incident. She sustained injuries to her face, legs, and arms, and mentioned that her colleague was also injured. Emergency services were summoned to the ride location at approximately 19:30 GMT. Photographs captured by the BBC depicted wires from a minimum of two gondolas on the attraction entangled. The West Midlands Fire Service verified that the ride had “dropped to the ground” during its operation.