Mall officials said Thursday afternoon that the Shredder’s Mutant Masher ride at Nickelodeon Universe was closed as a precaution pending further inspection.
The decision came after one person was killed and several were injured when the Fire Ball ride broke apart Wednesday at the Ohio State Fair.
The Mall of America said in a statement that its rides are inspected daily.
“Mall of America holds itself to the highest standards,” the statement read. “Our ride will remain inactive until we’ve been given appropriate clearance by our manufacturer.”
The Dutch company KMG, which manufactured the Ohio Fire Ball ride, instructed all 43 versions of the ride around the world to be shut down Thursday. The company said there are 11 such rides in the United States.
The Mall of America’s Mutant Masher was manufactured by the Kansas-based Chance Rides. The company obtained a license from KMG years ago to build a similar ride, according to Jeff Roth, Vice President of administration for Chance.
But Roth stressed that the Mall of America’s ride had little chance of malfunctioning as the Ohio ride did, because the chairs connect to the ride’s metal arms more securely than in KMG’s original design.
“The potential for failure on the Mall of America ride is nonexistent because of its dissimilarity from the Fire Ball ride in Ohio,” Roth said. He called the designs “entirely different.”
The Mutant Mashers attraction came to the mall in 2015, replacing the Danny Phantom Ghost Zone ride. It is one of nine of thrill rides at the park. The mall has 27 total rides.
The ride functions as a giant pendulum, spinning and swinging riders more than 60 feet in the air. The attraction is inspired by Nickelodeon's hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.
Also, from StarTribune.com:
Mall of America shuts down popular ride following Ohio State Fair incident
Mall officials said they did not know when the ride will reopen.
The Mall of America on Thursday shut down a popular ride similar to one that flew apart at the Ohio State Fair on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring seven.
The Shredder’s Mutant Masher was taken out of service as a precautionary move, MOA representatives said in a statement. Crews will perform additional inspections on the ride, which will be idle until the mall gets approval from the manufacturer, Chance Rides Inc.
“They have advised all customers to take all versions of this ride out of service while additional inspections can be completed,” according to the mall’s statement.
Shedder’s Mutant Masher has design features similar to those on the Fire Ball, a 40-foot structure that broke up during the Ohio State Fair’s opening day. Video from the scene showed the ride crashing into something while in operation, breaking apart and hurtling riders into the air and ground.
An 18-year-old man died after he was thrown off the ride. Others remained in critical condition as of Wednesday night.
Shredder’s Mutant Masher is one of many rides in the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park at MOA. Like Fire Ball, it spins riders while swinging back and forth like a pendulum.
Mall representatives said Shredder’s Mutant Masher is different from a portable model like Fire Ball, and the two rides also have different manufacturers.
“Out of due diligence, Mall of America will keep our ride out of service until we have been given appropriate clearance by Chance Rides, Inc.,” according to the statement.
--Ends--
Original source: Pioneer Press.
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