Cable snaps on Seville fair ride, injuring four at Feria de Abril

The Steel Max slingshot ride at Seville’s Feria de Abril came to a sudden halt after one of its cables snapped in the Calle del Infierno fairground, sending the capsule swinging into the structure before it stopped suspended more than 90 meters above the ground.

Four people were hurt in the accident, including two minors inside the ride and two people on the ground who were struck by debris. Spanish reports described all of the injuries as minor. The incident unfolded at about 8:20 p.m. local time on Friday, April 24, as the week-long fair drew the kind of heavy crowds that make temporary amusement rides a constant test of inspection and enforcement.

Emergency services responded quickly at the scene, and the injured were taken to a local health center for medical checks. Authorities in Seville secured the area after the malfunction, while inspectors examined the attraction. The Spanish National Police opened an investigation into what caused the cable to fail and whether the ride was operating safely at the time.

The crash has pushed the fairground’s safety practices back into view at a moment when public confidence depends on more than carnival atmosphere. Calle del Infierno is filled each year with portable rides that move from venue to venue, a setup that can leave enforcement dependent on short-term approvals, repeated checks and the ability of local authorities to keep pace with fast-moving machinery. The Feria de Abril is one of Seville’s biggest annual events, and its scale means any failure inside the fairground can quickly become a broader public safety issue.

The Ayuntamiento de Sevilla said it had activated a specific health response for the 2026 Feria de Abril to provide medical coverage throughout the week-long celebration. That emergency planning limited the immediate medical impact of the ride failure, but the investigation now focuses on a more basic question: how a prominent attraction in a crowded municipal fairground was able to experience a cable break that left riders and bystanders injured in full view of the public.