Girl dies after amusement park accident

A 13-year-old girl has died after being flung out of a fast-turning ride at an amusement park in Southwest China.

The national product safety regulator said in a statement late on Saturday that an initial investigation showed her seat belt had broken and a passenger safety bar did not fit tightly enough at Chaohua Park in Chongqing.

Cellphone footage aired by State media showed the girl flying out of the "Travel Through Space" ride on Friday afternoon as seats repeatedly spun round 360 degrees. Media reports say she fell onto iron railings and was taken to a hospital, where she died.

West China Metropolis Daily reported on Sunday that the family of the girl, Gan Yajie, had reached a compensation agreement with the park for their only child's death amounting to 870,000 yuan ($126,700).

The newspaper also said the ride had passed a routine quality inspection in December.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said that it had asked Chongqing authorities to suspend all of the park's large amusement facilities to "carry out checks and eliminate hidden dangers".

It also ordered companies operating the same "Travel Through Space" ride across the country to immediately suspend its use and contact the Chengdu-based manufacturer for further checks.