LAHORE, Dec 4: Three schoolgirls and two teachers were killed, and 47 other students were injured, 10 of them seriously, when a merry-go-round collapsed at the Sozo Water Park in Jallo Morr here on Saturday.

The girls, between 8 and 13, belonged to three city schools - Sidra Public School of Al-Faisal Town, Shaheen Public School of Bathha Chowk and Samer Public School of Bund Road. They were on a picnic in the amusement park.

The dead were identified as Sidra Baloch, daughter of the owner of one of the schools named after her, Amna, Sadia Liaquat and teachers Saima and Rabia. The park is said to be owned by the brothers of a senior bureaucrat posted in Islamabad.

Witnesses said students and their teachers were taking the joyride on the merry-go-round at 11am when its metal axles broke as the operator accelerated speed by applying the top gear.

It was learnt that there had been no maintenance of the merry-go-round since its installation long time ago.

The incident sparked panic in the private park as picnickers and employees rushed towards the swing to rescue the children and some of their teachers.

They rushed the injured to the nearby Ghurki Trust Hospital in whatever transport they could arrange. When police and other civic agencies joined the rescue operation, almost half of the injured had been shifted to the hospital.

Some of the injured, including teachers, were taken to the Lahore General Hospital because of severe head injuries, were identified as Anam, Sira Yousaf, Nimra, Tariq, Aysha, Irfa Iftikhar and an unidentified student. Two children- Rizwan and Ashi- whose condition was also critical, were operated upon in the Ghurki Trust Hospital.

Some 20 children who sustained minor injuries were discharged after the first aid. The remaining injured included Aqeela, Uzma, Sana, Mehwish, Munaza, Rukhsana, Rehana, Fakhra and Nisha.

Soon after the incident, families of the victims and injured gathered at the hospital and demanded strict action against the park management.

A case has been registered against the owners and administration of the park for murder (under Section 302), attempted murder (Section 324) and negligence (Section 109).

Sohail Lashari and Zohair Lashari have been nominated so far in the FIR.