SAN JACINTO, Pangasinan — At least 12 people were injured after an amusement ride collapsed during a Christmas Eve fair in San Jacinto, according to police and local officials.

Around 30 passengers were riding the attraction when its welding failed, causing part of the structure to give way. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, with several sustaining bruises and minor injuries.

San Jacinto police chief Napoleon Velasco Jr. said initial findings point to a structural failure in the middle portion of the ride. “The collapse happened in the middle when the welding failed and broke. It did not completely fall, but it sagged as it collapsed,” Velasco said.

One of the passengers, a 19-year-old woman who also worked at the fair, said she was shocked by the incident, noting that the ride had reportedly passed inspection before operations began.

The ride operator committed to providing financial assistance to the victims but declined to issue further statements. Local authorities have since suspended the amusement fair’s operations pending the outcome of the investigation.

Videos circulating online showed riders enjoying the attraction moments before panic erupted as the ride malfunctioned. The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is coordinating with police and safety regulators to assess compliance with engineering and safety standards.

Entertainment Should Never Gamble With Lives

This was not bad luck. It was a failure of responsibility.

An amusement ride collapsing during a Christmas fair is not a freak accident. It is the predictable result of weak enforcement, rushed inspections, and a culture that treats public safety as a checkbox rather than a duty. Welding does not “suddenly” fail without warning. Metal weakens. Structures fatigue. Risks accumulate when corners are cut.

What makes this incident more disturbing is the false assurance of safety. Passengers boarded believing the ride had been inspected and cleared. That trust was misplaced. When inspections exist only on paper, they protect operators, not the public.

Holiday fairs are meant to bring joy, especially to families and young people. Instead, they too often operate in regulatory gray areas, using temporary permits, aging equipment, and minimal oversight. When accidents happen, operators promise assistance, operations are suspended, and attention fades. Then the cycle repeats.

This should not end with suspension and sympathy. Accountability must follow. Who approved the ride? Who certified its safety? Were standards actually met or merely signed off?

Public entertainment must never rely on hope as a safety measure. If authorities cannot guarantee that rides are structurally sound, they have no business allowing them to operate at all.

Fun should never come with the risk of injury. That is not entertainment. That is negligence dressed up as celebration.