8-Year-Old Crushed To Death Before Mother As 'Overcrowded' Inflatable Water Slide Collapses

An eight-year-old died after the inflatable water slide she was playing on suddenly collapsed. The incident took place at Fengda International Hot Spring Holiday Resort in China on Saturday.

The unnamed girl was playing with her mother on the “Deep Sea Treasure” slide when it suddenly collapsed, sending the schoolgirl tumbling.

A video of the incident showed the victim’s mother screaming "Call an ambulance! Has anyone called an ambulance!" as her daughter laid beside her on the slide. Authorities rushed the girl to a nearby hospital for treatment, however, she succumbed to injuries despite best efforts to revive her.

Officials said among the several people who were on the slide along with the victim and her mother, four were injured in the incident. However, none of them received severe injuries. Though the reason behind the collapse was not known, a staff member told the local media that the incident likely took place because of overcrowding.

The investigation was ongoing and officials were carrying out extensive checks of the facilities in the water park to ensure the safety. Local reports also suggested that the girl's family and the resort were negotiating compensation.

In a similar incident in China in May, two people were killed and several others were injured after falling off a slide at a theme park.

“I was on a rope bridge and saw four or five rubber lifebuoys with people on them all crowded together and sliding down. The people were screaming, I'm not sure whether from fright or excitement, but within seconds they all flew off the slide,” a witness said, adding that the slide was running faster than normal due to rain.