Children’s park did not have licence

THE VENUE at the centre of an investigation into a children’s accident on Monday did not have a relevant licence to host the event, it emerged yesterday.

An inflatable slide at Lemon Park in Latsia overturned, throwing children playing on it to the ground.

The park was hosting a school party for graduates of Aglandja’s fourth primary school, with seven children injured in the incident, four of whom were hospitalised at Nicosia General Hospital.

Labour Ministry inspector Themistoclis Kyriacou explained that “a full reconstruction of the incident took place on Thursday and we have undertaken various experiments on the slide using the two air blowers and checking different valves in order to find out exactly what happened.”

School supervisors have since said that many of the children, aged 12 to 13, had been misbehaving. They were told to calm down, with their parents, who were present, asked to control them.

Police are investigating whether the slide overturned due to a loss of pressure or because too many children were on it, above capacity levels.

Eyewitnesses reported that one end of the slide lost air pressure and that too many children were concentrated on one particular end.

The investigation has revealed that the venue’s licence was revoked six months ago as it was operating as a playground and party venue, which Latsia Municipality says is not stipulated in its contract.

Mayor Panayiotis Kyprianou told state television that, “the owners had no right to use the place for an event such as Monday night’s school party and should have waited for the relevant licence.”

The issue may now end up in court.

The Labour Ministry is also in the process of compiling a list of other venues which need to be checked as to whether they are following the correct health and safety regulations.

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