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Meropi Kyriacou Honored as TNH Educator of the Year
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
CHALKIDIKI – Before a 19-year-old was flung off a spinning chair ride to his death, an inspector checking an unlicensed amusement park in the northern Greek municipality of Kassandra reportedly said it was safe without testing it.
No names were given but OPEN TV said the engineer signed off approval on the ride without putting it into operation and later the brother of the victim, on the ride with him, said they were told some of the seats weren’t safe.
The 21-year-0ld operator fled when the tragedy happened, leaving the ride spinning after he told the brothers he would “push it hard,” before others stopped the ride. He turned himself in and he and the park owner were released.
The report said the park had been operating without a proper license since the start of the 2024 summer season and although the municipality knew it was there – the Mayor denied it – and that there was no attempt to shut it down.
The municipality and Development Ministry have pointed fingers at each other over who was at fault and police said the operator and owner wouldn’t be held because the investigation is ongoing.
All staff of the park were asked to come to the park on Aug. 19, the day of the tragedy, to be present for a supposed inspection of the park and its rides, according to the TV station’s report about the incident.
An engineer visited the park, signed-off on the rides, and gave approval without inspecting the equipment in operation, it said, adding that workers had previously made complaints about ride safety.
It wasn’t said if the inspector was being questioned but OPEN TV said the park’s management either ignored these complaints or attempted to cover up issues by repainting worn equipment to make it appear new.
On the fatal ride it was said the operator told riders to switch to a seat in better condition and that the victim did just before the ride began and before it was cranked up to high speed or how fast it authorized to go.
It was earlier reported that police had gone to the park previously and found that there was no license and notified municipal officials who reportedly didn’t act on it, saying they didn’t have the authority to do anything.
