Woman on birthday trip killed in freak go-karting accident in Indonesia
A Singaporean woman died in a go-karting incident during her birthday trip to Indonesia's Batam island.
Indonesian police said they were investigating the incident in which 33-year-old Arini Mohamed Adinan died at the Golden City Go Kart in Bengkong.
Adinan was on a birthday trip with her friends in Batam when the incident took place around 3.30pm (local time) on Wednesday, just a day after she celebrated her birthday, The Straits Times reported.
The woman was making high-speed laps when she hit a barrier lined with tyres, according to senior superintendent Zahwani Pandra Arsyad, a spokesperson for the Riau Islands.
“Witnesses saw the victim in a go-kart with the number 14 and driving two laps around the track,” he said. “She was speeding and her go-kart hit the barrier in the circuit.”
The witness, who is a staff at the venue, approached the victim and saw strands of the woman's hair stuck in one of the rear wheels of the cart. The woman's helmet flew off during the crash.
The woman was rushed to a nearby medical facility, where she was pronounced dead. Her body was taken back to Singapore on Thursday.
The local police said they would take action if any negligence was found on the go-karting operator's part.
"In principle, operators of tourist attractions should have standard operating procedures that take care of the environment, health and safety (of the visitors),” the spokesperson said.
“Every such operator when carrying out his duties must supervise and manage the places visited by tourists”.
Mohamed Redzwan, the brother of the victim, told Berita Harian: "We are really shocked and saddened when we were told of the incident.”
“We were unaware of her movements in Batam. The last time we met was on Tuesday when I returned from work, and she had to leave the house at 1pm.”
The headline of this article was changed on 26 February 2024. It originally stated incorrectly that the accident happened in Singapore, when it happened in Indonesia.
