bounce castle accident
© antena3.comEmergency services inspect the bouncy castle after it exploded causing the death of a child.
A six-year-old girl has died after a bouncy castle exploded and catapulted her more than 45 foot into the air.

Half a dozen other children were injured, three of them seriously, after the incident in a restaurant garden in Girona, Spain, on Sunday afternoon.

It is understood a valve failed on the inflatable and pressure built up causing the explosion which sent children high into the air before crashing down onto tarmac or grass.

Three youngsters most seriously hurt were rushed to hospital in a helicopter, and the girl, six, died overnight of her severe injuries.

The emergency services say the six other boys and girls suffered various injuries when they were flung off the bouncy castle, parts of which reached the roof of the restaurant.

Debris was found more than 120ft away from the original site, including in the branches of trees.

The children are aged between three and eleven.

The accident happened in Caldes de Malavella, a town in Girona, Spain at about 3.45pm yesterday afternoon.

An investigation is already underway to find out what happened but it is believed one of the air valves failed and exploded when the pressure inside built up.

The emergency services remained on the scene all afternoon, with seven ambulances and the two helicopters, as well as eight police cars and five fire crews.

The three most seriously hurt children were two girls aged six and seven and a boy of nine.

One of the six year olds died in hospital a few hours after being admitted, the other two are still being treated for what is being described as multiple injuries.

The other four received minor cuts and bruises as a result of the incident which happened after the inflatable was set up in restaurant's garden.

The Mayor of Caldes de Malavella Salvador Balliu says the bouncy castle was new and described the explosion as 'very, very strong'.

Parents of the injured children were having their lunch whilst the boys and girls played on the inflatable.

Customers have reported hearing 'a loud bang' and said the children were flung high into the air before falling down on the grass or tarmac.

Because of the seriousness of the situation, the government of Cataluyna put its Civil Protection Plan into operation.

President of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, has sent his solidarity and affection to the family of the deceased child through his Twitter account.