6 people injured when carnival ride tips over at Fourth of July celebration in Washington state

Six people were injured Wednesday night when a ride at an Independence Day carnival in Washington state tipped over, officials said.

The city of Oak Harbor, about 90 miles north of Seattle, said in a Facebook statement Wednesday that the six people sustained minor injuries and were treated on site.

Magi Aguilar, a city spokesperson, said she did not know how many people were on the ride, which she said is known as the swings. She said that it had passed state and city inspections and that an issue with the ride's setup had caused it to tip over.

The city said that the ride was promptly secured and shut down and that the carnival was closed for the rest of the evening.

Images posted to the Oak Harbor Facebook page appear to show a spinning swing ride collapsed and on its side.

Mayor Ronnie Wright said Thursday the carnival had been shut down for the rest of the holiday weekend.

“Ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors is our top priority,” Wright said in a statement. “After careful deliberation and consultation with law enforcement and city officials, it became that this was the best course of action to protect our community.”

The city said it would work closely with the vendor to conduct thorough inspections Thursday to determine what caused the ride to tip over and to prevent any future incidents.

“We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents and visitors,” Oak Harbor Police Chief Tony Slowik said in the city’s statement. “Our priority is to thoroughly investigate this incident and take all necessary measures to maintain the highest safety standards.”