The queen and Prince Charles at the official opening of the fountain
Britain's troubled Princess Diana Memorial Fountain has been closed indefinitely after three people slipped on the monument's steps and were taken to hospital.
The water in the £3.6 million ($6.6 million) memorial to Diana, Princess of Wales, in London's Hyde Park was switched off Thursday on health and safety grounds.
John Fearn, spokesman for the Royal Parks, told CNN officials were "very concerned" after the accidents.
"We are not going to reopen it until we are completely satisfied it is safe to do so," he said.
Three people -- believed to be to part of the same family -- slipped and fell on steps forming part of the monument Thursday.
Fearn said the cause was being urgently investigated in a "very thorough" inquiry. It was not known whether the design of the fountain or the type of stone used had contributed, he said.
Park officials told the UK's Press Association that one of the three people injured was a young child who received "a bump to the head" resulting in "some bleeding."
The child and two adults were taken to hospital, PA said. They were all discharged by Thursday evening.
It was the latest in a series of blows for the troubled memorial.
Shortly after Queen Elizabeth II opened the fountain two weeks ago, park officials closed it when fallen leaves blocked filters and caused the fountain to flood.
Workers had to shut it off again a few days later -- again when the filters clogged.
Fearn said park officials were meeting Friday with independent health and safety experts and the designers and engineers who built the fountain.
During the past two weeks, tens of thousands of people have visited the memorial, located alongside Hyde Park's Serpentine lake.
On Friday, a safety cordon kept visitors five meters (yards) from the fountain.
No comments:
Post a Comment