On Thursday, a fun celebration at a primary school in Devenport, Tasmania turned tragic after four children playing inside an inflatable jumping castle lost their lives.
The kids studying at Hillcrest Primary School fell from a height of 10 meters (32 ft) after gutsy wind lifted the bouncing castle in the air, BBC reported.
The children were given first aid before being flown in helicopters to the hospital. Four children were initially pronounced dead and a fifth child later died in hospital, the report furthered.
Imagine sending your little ones off for their last day of school before Christmas, and they die or are critically injured on a jumping castle. God. I thought 2021 had done enough. Just devastating.
— Dani Netherclift (@daninetherclift) December 16, 2021
A statement issued by the local police stated that nine students at Hillcrest Primary School had fallen from a height of around 10 meters (32.8 feet) after a "significant local wind event" caused the jumping castle and several inflatable "zorb" balls to lift into the air.
The incident happened on Thursday morning, Tasmanian Police said, with officers and emergency services, including two helicopters, racing to the scene within two minutes and beginning to administer first aid.
One parent, speaking to a local newspaper, quoted by BBC, said the school had previously installed such floats on similar occasions with no problems.
"You wouldn't dream a fun activity day would end like this," the woman told Hobart newspaper The Mercury adding, "We all feel so heartbroken for the parents involved. And feel guilty that we are also relieved our children were not injured."
