One teenager was killed and three others injured last night (July 23) after a pirate ship ride collapsed at a fairground in Indonesia.

The group of four friends were sitting on the back row of the swinging ride when it suddenly snapped off at the market in Central Java.

Horrified revellers rushed to help after the victims after they plunged to the ground, directly under the 30ft high yellow and green coloured machine.

The victims were rushed to the Islam Pekajangan hospital but teenager Taufik Mailano, 15, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

The other three victims - Refal Giat Setiawan, 16, Efan Khafis, 16, and Chandra, 15 - are being treated at the hospital today for their injuries.

Evan Khafis, one of the survivors, said that he and his friends were trying for the ride for the last time before the official opening today in the Bojong district of Pekalongan city.

But a few moments after they started the machine, an iron bar on the very back of the machine snapped off, and the metal carriage support on the back of the machine that the boys were sitting on, plunged to the ground.

The ride operator claimed that they were sitting on the ridge around the edge of the ship and not in the proper seats.

Officials from Pekalongan Regional Police began investigations and brought the machine operator, Bany Mahardika, for questioning this morning.

Bany said that he had warned the boys not to sit on the back of the vehicle but the victim did not hear him because of the loud background music from the ride.

Pekalongan Regional Police Heri Heriyanto said: "After we have carried out deeper checks last night and today, we have made the operators suspects.''

Heriyanto explained that the operator had been careless with the safety of the ride.

He added: ''Because of his mistake, people have died and he is now a suspect.''

The operator faces being charged with Article 359 of the Criminal Code with the threat of a maximum jail term of five years.

In addition to detaining the suspect, the police also collected evidence from the scene in the form of an iron pipe that was used for diesel exhaust, two parts of the ride that broke off, two pieces of rubber and a bell.

One teenager was killed and three others injured last night (Tue) after a pirate ship ride collapsed at a fairground.

The group of four friends were sitting on the back row of the swinging ride when it suddenly snapped off at the market in Central Java, Indonesia.

Horrified revellers rushed to help after the victims after they plunged to the ground, directly under the 30ft high yellow and green coloured machine.

The victims were rushed to the Islam Pekajangan hospital but teenager Taufik Mailano, 15, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

The other three victims - Refal Giat Setiawan, 16, Efan Khafis, 16, and Chandra, 15, - are being treated at the hospital today for their injuries.

Evan Khafis, one of the survivors, said that he and his friends were trying for the ride for the last time before the official opening today (Wed) in the Bojong district of Pekalongan city.

But a few moments after they started the machine, an iron bar on the very back of the machine snapped off, and the metal carriage support on the back of the machine that the boys were sitting on, plunged to the ground.

The ride operator claimed that they were sitting on the ridge around the edge of the ship and not in the proper seats.

Officials from Pekalongan Regional Police began investigations and brought the machine operator, Bany Mahardika, for questioning this morning.

Bany said that he had warned the boys not to sit on the back of the vehicle but the victim did not hear him because of the loud background music from the ride.

Pekalongan Regional Police Heri Heriyanto said: "After we have carried out deeper checks last night and today, we have made the operators suspects.''

Heriyanto explained that the operator had been careless with the safety of the ride.

He added: ''Because of his mistake, people have died and he is now a suspect.''

The operator faces being charged with Article 359 of the Criminal Code with the threat of a maximum jail term of five years.

In addition to detaining the suspect, the police also collected evidence from the scene in the form of an iron pipe that was used for a diesel exhaust, two parts of the ride that broke off, two pieces of rubber and a bell.