Fourteen children were hurt yesterday when an amusement ride broke down and fell three metres to the ground.

The children were on the Wave Swinger at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Ontario.

The Wave Swinger is a circular ride with 48 swing-style seats attached by metal chains to a dome. One person sits in each harness and is secured by a bar across the lap. As the ride begins, the swings move in a circular motion, and the center rises up as the swings pick up speed.

Police say most of the injured children, ages five to 15, suffered cuts, bruises and neck and back injuries.

"I thought the whole thing was going to blow. I've never been that scared," says Sayland Green, 12, as she was being examined by paramedics. "It was a horror show."

"We're not sure what happened. There was a malfunction, and the chairs dropped to the platform," says Alfie Phillips, president of Conklin Shows, the company which owns the midway.

Phillips says the Wave Swinger had been inspected Wednesday morning by the ride foreman, a Conklin Shows employee, and Tuesday morning by a safety inspector from the Canadian National Exhibition.

"We have an excellent safety record, but these things happen," Phillips says.

The ride has been shut down and will be carefully inspected before a decision is made on whether to let it reopen, says Tom Zach, spokesman for the Technical Standards and Safety Association.

The Toronto accident comes after a rash of recent accidents at amusement parks in the United States that killed four people. In August, a disabled 12-year-old boy died on a ride in California. A day later, a man fell from a stand-up roller coaster in Virginia. Last week, 20 people had to be rescued from a roller coaster in California when it stalled.

The Paramount Canada's Wonderland amusement park near Toronto has shut down a ride similar to The Wave Swinger until safety inspectors complete their investigation.

2. Who were on the Wave Swinger at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Ontario?