4 min readNew DelhiFeb 13, 2026 09:27 AM IST
Days after a ‘Tsunami Swing’ collapsed and claimed a policeman’s life at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela, the section of the fair housing the amusement rides remains cordoned-off with yellow tapes put around it. At least five special police officers are always stationed at the spot since Monday, with the number rising to even seven in the evening when the footfall increases.
“Of course it hurts,” Special Police Officer Phool Singh, deployed at the rides section, said on Thursday, referring to the death of Inspector Jagdish Prasad (59) last Saturday. Singh and others are on eight-hour shifts in the section.
“No one has ventured into the area today (Thursday) apart from the mela staff,” Singh said.
Food stalls set up near the swing before it collapsed have also been moved.
“The incident affected business. We are barely managing costs. If this goes on, half of the food will remain unsold,” said Vijay Kumar (37). The choley bhature stall he works at was located near the swing, and its proprietor-worker Balbir Singh was among those injured, as he volunteered to rescue people after the swing collapsed.
Balbir, who is recuperating at his Sultanpuri residence in Delhi, said: “There are three fractures in my right hand. I cannot work for three months. I have two young children to take care of. What happened to the policeman is tragic… we used to have tea and snacks together after his shift ended.”
A little away, the owner of a hoopla ring game stall, Ballu (35) shouted — “12 shoes for Rs 100” — to attract customers, but in vain. “It is becoming very difficult. For a couple of days after the incident, we had to shut our stalls. But the crowd is thinner even now, after days.”
A panipuri seller, wishing not to be named, concurred.
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Even as stall owners claimed to incur losses, though wary, many visitors turned up at the mela.
Deepak Kumar (26), who was accompanied by his wife, said on Thursday: “These (melas) happen once a year. We cannot miss it because of one mishap.”
Sudhir Gupta (34), a small businessman from Bihar who resides in Gurgaon, visited the mela with his wife and child. He said he was unaware about last week’s incident. “But it was an accident. Should we stop coming to melas because of that?”
People seemed to agree with Sudhir and Deepak as they started thronging the stalls to buy handicrafts and pose with African performers at selfie points. Teens were spotted making reels for social media, standing not very far from the rides section.
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A Faridabad Police spokesperson said that currently three of those who sustained injuries in the swing collapse are admitted to Supreme Hospital. “While two are recovering, one is in the ICU,” the spokesperson said. The others who sustained injuries have been discharged on Monday.
Special officer Singh’s colleague and former Armyman SPO Rakesh Kumar (52), felt pain in the chest while he was on way to Jhanjhar on Monday evening. “I got a check-up done at a private hospital. Following scans, I was told one of the ribs is severely damaged. So, I got admitted…”
“People are attending the fair. Well, who can stop them? But we lost a very dear one,” he said, remembering Prasad.
According to officials, between Monday and Thursday, over 2.7 lakh people have visited the mela — which will go on till February 15. On Sunday alone, a day after the incident, 2.2 lakh people visited the fair, Haryana Heritage and Tourism Minister Dr Arvind Sharma had said. The mela has seen a footfall of over 10 lakh so far, officials added.
