Updated July 27, 2017 15:25:44

A swinging and spinning amusement park ride called the Fire Ball broke apart on the opening day of the Ohio State Fair, hurling people through the air, killing at least one and injuring seven others.

Video captured by a bystander showed the ride swinging back and forth like a pendulum and spinning in the air before crashing into something on the way back down.

Part of the ride flies off, throwing riders through the air and to the ground as it continues swinging.

"The entire seat came off the ride and went flying," an Ohio woman wrote on Facebook.

"[I've] seen at least five people severely injured."

Photo: Wreckage from the Fire Ball after the incident (AP: The Columbus Dispatch/ Barbara J. Perenic)

The man who was killed was one of several people who were thrown when the ride malfunctioned, Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin said.

Local station WCHM reported that the dead person was 18 years old, and that one of the injured was a 13-year-old child.

Three of the injured remain in hospital in critical condition, and the other two are in stable condition, authorities said at a news conference.

Ride inspectors said the Fire Ball had passed safety checks and was signed off on earlier in the day.

Director of Agriculture David Daniels said all the fair's rides were checked several times during set-up to make sure they complied with manufacturer's specifications.

Photo: Three of the injured remained in hospital in critical condition, authorities said. (AP: The Columbus Dispatch/Jim Woods)

He said four of the fair's rides had not been given permission to open, because they failed mechanical tests.

The company providing rides at the fair this year had described the Fire Ball as an "aggressive thrill" ride.

Amusements of America said the ride swung riders 12 metres into the air while rotating at 13 revolutions per minute.

Republican Governor John Kasich said he had ordered a full investigation, while also ordering all fair rides to be shut down pending urgent safety checks.

"The fair is about the best things in life, and tonight with this accident it becomes a terrible, terrible tragedy," he said.

AP/ABC

Topics: events, carnivals-and-festivals, disasters-and-accidents, accidents, united-states

First posted July 27, 2017 13:14:33