Carnival ride collapses in California; 17 injured

The ride has arms that fling out as they spin around an axis, said Dennis Townsend with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. He didn't know what might have caused the collapse or have details about the condition of those injured.

Three people with serious injuries were airlifted to area hospitals, Townsend said. Fourteen others were treated for minor injuries.

The fair remained open but the carnival area was shut down following the accident, said Laurie Giannini, the fairground's marketing director. She said there were no fatalities.

State accident investigators were en route to the fairgrounds, Townsend said.

The annual Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee draws thousands of people to the fairgrounds just outside the Gold Rush-era town of Angels Camp in the Sierra Nevada foothills, about 80 miles southeast of Sacramento. It bills itself as an "old-fashion county fair" with exhibits and a variety of entertainment.