BACOLOD City — Carnival rides across the city have been temporarily suspended following an incident on the Horror Train at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) on the evening of October 13, prompting an immediate inspection by the City Engineer’s Office (CEO).
According to Police Major Marc Joel Reclamado, station commander of Police Station 4, seven individuals, including three minors, were injured after jumping off the train.
Initial police investigation revealed that while the Horror Train was in operation, passengers were reportedly shocked when the train tilted to one side, prompting some riders to jump off.
“There were about 10 passengers on the train. Seven jumped off and sustained minor injuries. They were brought to a private hospital for treatment and have since returned home,” Reclamado said.
This year, two carnival sites have been set up in Bacolod City for MassKara Festival 2025—one at the BCGC and the other at the Reclamation Area. The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) earlier approved the request of the Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc. (BGFI), organizers of the festival, to operate the carnivals.
Upon learning of the incident, Mayor Greg Gasataya held a meeting on the morning of October 14 with the carnival operator and owner, BGFI representatives, and the CEO. During the discussion, the mayor directed the operator to submit a full incident report. BGFI is also tasked to coordinate with the victims’ families and report the incident to the police for official documentation.
Mayor Gasataya ordered the CEO to conduct inspections of all carnival rides operating in the city before allowing operations to resume.
“For the meantime, all carnival rides will not operate. We need to inspect everything first, and once we receive the reports, we will decide based on the CEO’s recommendations,” the mayor said.
He added that the safety of the public remains the top priority. “Our main concern is the safety of everyone. That is why we immediately instructed the CEO to inspect all rides in Bacolod, including those in other areas,” Mayor Gasataya emphasized./PN
