'We were having fun and then four minutes of hell'

"We were having a fun time until those four minutes of hell... I just remember seeing my brother and hearing someone shout 'there's blood'."

Nadiya Allom, 25, was with her brother and sister on the 55m (180ft)-high City Star Flyer ride in Birmingham Centenary Square when it lurched backwards before dropping.

The women were hit by flying glass and brother Syek, 21, crashed into the ticket booth, injuring his head.

Two people, aged 55 and 21, have been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers over the matter. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating.

The siblings, from Northampton, had visited the site, which also has an ice rink and a big wheel, to celebrate Radiya's graduation.

Thirteen people are thought to have been on the ride when it failed on 12 December.

"I just remember it was lowering slowly, and then a quick drop, and then my head started hitting everything," Nadiya said.

Despite her fears when their seat fell, 26-year-old Radiya attempted to soften the blow of the impact by using her leg.

"I felt terror, I was trying to protect us," she said. "When we landed I just cried and felt really sorry because I took my siblings on."

Syek remembered "everything was moving fast, then slow and then I just remember people running over to me asking if I was OK."

He said: "I just felt numb but also really tired like I wanted to sleep but I knew that was the worse thing you could do so I tried my hardest to stay awake.

"It was four minutes of hell not knowing what's going on around me and not being able to get to my sisters but hearing them crying."

Two women were taken to hospital, while another 11 patients were assessed by paramedics and discharged at the scene.

Syek was not treated at the scene, but later went to hospital. He was there for 12 hours.

Louise Brown, who was also on the ride, previously told the BBC what had happened. She suffered injuries to her face, legs and arms, adding her colleague was also hurt.

Emergency services were called to the ride at about 19:30 GMT.

Images taken by the BBC showed wires from at least two gondolas on the ride tangled up with each other.

West Midlands Fire Service confirmed the ride had "dropped to the ground" while it was in operation.

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