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Report what went wrong with fair ride

Thrill rides reopened at the Ohio State Fair on Sunday, to the delight of some attendees who did not seem worried about the accident that killed one man and injured seven others last week.

Given the fact both amusement company workers and state inspectors spent several days giving the rides fine-toothed comb treatment, there probably was no reason for concern.

But there was some and there will be more cause for it in the future, until state officials release a report about what caused the Fire Ball ride to fall apart last week. That ride had been checked three or four times by state inspectors before it was allowed to operate. Yet a deadly malfunction still occurred.

Until the public knows precisely what went wrong — and, more important, why state inspectors did not spot the problem before the Fire Ball opened — confidence in the safety of thrill rides will be lacking, at least among those without blind faith in technology and government.

State officials looking into the tragedy obviously ought to take enough time to ensure they have pinpointed the cause of the malfunction and why it was not detected. Still, the sooner they can provide that information to the public, the better.

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