At a New Year's Eve event in Peabody, a celebratory scene took a dangerous turn when a large Lego display collapsed onto partygoers, injuring ten people. According to Peabody Fire Chief John Dowling, when staff at the In the Game arcade attempted a balloon drop to ring in the noon hour yesterday, the balloons became entangled and caused the display to fall from about 12 feet. NBC10 Boston reported that all injuries were minor, though eight individuals were taken to nearby hospitals, with two refusing treatment.
The incident captured on video shows a crowd, including children, beneath a net filled with balloons moments before a gray Lego structure representing a video game arcade machine dramatically tips over, leading to screams among the attendees. "I didn't know anybody was hurt until after," said 13-year-old Keegan Oblenes, who was part of the crowd, sharing his immediate confusion and subsequent concern in an interview with NBC10 Boston; ambulances and fire trucks arrived soon thereafter along with a stretcher.
Online ticket sales for the "Happy Noon Years" event indicated a sold-out gathering, with families likely anticipating a harmless celebration at the arcade located at Lowell Street in Peabody. However, due to this unforeseen accident, the venue's ownership group pointed to ongoing cooperation with local authorities provides details of the response through a representative who referred additional queries to the Peabody Fire Department.
The Peabody police have attributed the cascade to the balloons attached to the display, as stated in a social media post, whereas the bustling scene quickly escalated into an emergency with the structure, measuring roughly 12 feet in height, toppling over the unsuspecting crowd. According to a report by Turnto10, despite the unforeseen chaos, the injuries reported were confirmed as minor, and the evening's event ended with an abrupt shift from festivity to fright.
