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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/23/irish-theme-tayto-park-woman-staircase-collapse
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| Witness describes staircase collapse at Irish theme park Witness describes staircase collapse at Irish theme park | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A woman has told how she stepped off a theme park staircase in Ireland just moments before it collapsed, sending parents and children crashing to the ground. | A woman has told how she stepped off a theme park staircase in Ireland just moments before it collapsed, sending parents and children crashing to the ground. |
| A number of people were injured inside the house of horrors attraction at Tayto Park on Saturday night when a section of stairs gave way. Nine were taken to hospital. | A number of people were injured inside the house of horrors attraction at Tayto Park on Saturday night when a section of stairs gave way. Nine were taken to hospital. |
| It happened at about 8pm during a Halloween-themed event at the park in County Meath. | It happened at about 8pm during a Halloween-themed event at the park in County Meath. |
| It is understood no one was seriously injured, with the majority sustaining cuts and bruises. A spokeswoman for the park said people were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure | It is understood no one was seriously injured, with the majority sustaining cuts and bruises. A spokeswoman for the park said people were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure |
| Rian O’Kelly said she visited the site with her 13-year-old sister and her two young friends. | Rian O’Kelly said she visited the site with her 13-year-old sister and her two young friends. |
| The 25-year-old from Dublin said the stairway was in two sections and she had just stepped on to the middle landing when the stairs behind her vanished from sight. | The 25-year-old from Dublin said the stairway was in two sections and she had just stepped on to the middle landing when the stairs behind her vanished from sight. |
| “We heard this big creaking noise and we thought it was part of the show, like trying to be scary, but then, next of all, people directly behind us just dropped and the whole staircase collapsed,” she said. | “We heard this big creaking noise and we thought it was part of the show, like trying to be scary, but then, next of all, people directly behind us just dropped and the whole staircase collapsed,” she said. |
| “Obviously everyone got really afraid and everyone started crying and screaming and stuff and running because we thought we were going to drop down as well, because we had just stepped off that staircase and everyone behind us just had gone.” | “Obviously everyone got really afraid and everyone started crying and screaming and stuff and running because we thought we were going to drop down as well, because we had just stepped off that staircase and everyone behind us just had gone.” |
| Emergency services attended the scene and Ireland’s Health and Safety Authority has launched an investigation. | Emergency services attended the scene and Ireland’s Health and Safety Authority has launched an investigation. |
| In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday News programme, O’Kelly said: “It was a family event – there were grown men and younger children on the stairs. There was definitely a lot of people injured from it. | In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday News programme, O’Kelly said: “It was a family event – there were grown men and younger children on the stairs. There was definitely a lot of people injured from it. |
| “We basically just saw everyone behind us just suddenly drop and they all landed on top of each other and the staircase completely gave way. | “We basically just saw everyone behind us just suddenly drop and they all landed on top of each other and the staircase completely gave way. |
| “All the younger children, and adults even, were screaming and crying. It really was very scary and quite ironic, that we were supposed to be going into a house of horrors.” | “All the younger children, and adults even, were screaming and crying. It really was very scary and quite ironic, that we were supposed to be going into a house of horrors.” |
| The park at Ashbourne, which is themed on the famous Irish crisp brand Tayto, opened in 2010. | The park at Ashbourne, which is themed on the famous Irish crisp brand Tayto, opened in 2010. |
| The venue said in a statement on Sunday: “Last night at approximately 8pm the lower portion of a permanent staircase leading to the House of Horrors gave way. | The venue said in a statement on Sunday: “Last night at approximately 8pm the lower portion of a permanent staircase leading to the House of Horrors gave way. |
| “The Tayto Park emergency plan was immediately put in place and the emergency services attended the scene. Nine people were transported to hospitals in the city as a precautionary measure to assess their injuries. | “The Tayto Park emergency plan was immediately put in place and the emergency services attended the scene. Nine people were transported to hospitals in the city as a precautionary measure to assess their injuries. |
| “The management of Tayto Park will cooperate fully with the investigation as the safety of our guests is paramount.” | “The management of Tayto Park will cooperate fully with the investigation as the safety of our guests is paramount.” |
| The park reopened on Sunday. | The park reopened on Sunday. |