19-Year-Old Dies in Amusement Park Accident in Halkidiki

A 19-year-old lost his life late Monday night following a tragic incident at an outdoor amusement park in the coastal Pefkohori resort in northern Greece’s Halkidiki prefecture.

The young man, who was vacationing with his family, sustained fatal injuries when his seat detached from a ride.

The accident occurred on the “Crazy Dance” ride, where the victim and his brother were seated. According to reports from ERT TV, the ride initially began at a slow pace but quickly accelerated. The surviving brother recounted that he noticed his seat becoming loose and alerted his sibling. Moments later, the back of the seat broke off, causing both brothers to fall. The victim was thrown from the ride and suffered severe head injuries. Despite being rushed to a nearby health center, he succumbed to his injuries early Tuesday morning.

The 58-year-old owner of the amusement park was arrested at the scene, while the 21-year-old operator of the ride turned himself in to authorities in Kilkis the following morning. The operator reportedly told the surviving brother before the ride began, “I will make it go really fast.”

The incident has sparked outrage, particularly following comments made by Giorgos Tsirkoudis, the president of the Pefkohori community. In an interview with ERT, Tsirkoudis attempted to distance himself from any responsibility, stating, “This amusement park has been here for over 20 years; I wasn’t the president then. Nothing passes through me.” He further claimed ignorance about the park’s maintenance and licencing, which local media reported had expired.

This tragic event is the second to hit Halkidiki in recent days. On August 13, an 8-year-old girl drowned at a popular summer camp in the region, an incident that is still under investigation. Additionally, a violent altercation at a bar on August 18 left one man seriously injured from a gunshot wound and three others hospitalised. The 55-year-old bar owner was briefly detained, and five Bulgarian nationals are currently in custody.

(Source: To Vima)