A swinging and spinning amusement park ride called the Fire Ball broke apart on the opening day of the Ohio State Fair, hurling people through the air, killing at least one and injuring seven others.

Key points: Local media reporting 18-year-old man killed, one 13-year-old injured

Local media reporting 18-year-old man killed, one 13-year-old injured Ride was inspected and signed off on day of fair, ride inspectors say

Ride was inspected and signed off on day of fair, ride inspectors say Three in hospital in critical condition, authorities say

Video captured by a bystander showed the ride swinging back and forth like a pendulum and spinning in the air before crashing into something on the way back down.

Part of the ride flies off, throwing riders through the air and to the ground as it continues swinging.

"The entire seat came off the ride and went flying," an Ohio woman wrote on Facebook.

"[I've] seen at least five people severely injured."

Wreckage from the Fire Ball after the incident ( AP: The Columbus Dispatch/ Barbara J. Perenic )

The man who was killed was one of several people who were thrown from the ride, officials said.

Local station WCHM reported that the dead person was 18 years old, and that one of the injured was a 13-year-old child.

Three of the injured remained in hospital in critical condition on Thursday morning (local time), and the other two were in stable condition, authorities said at a news conference.

Officials say they do not know what caused the ride to break apart, telling reporters that the investigation was ongoing.

Ride passed inspections morning of catastrophe

The Ohio State Fair will open on its second day, but officials said the rides would not be running until they were all determined to be safe.

Ride inspectors said the Fire Ball had passed safety checks and was signed off earlier on the fair's opening day.

Three of the injured remained in hospital in critical condition, authorities said. ( AP: The Columbus Dispatch/Jim Woods )

Director of Agriculture David Daniels said all the fair's rides are checked several times during set-up to make sure they comply with manufacturer's specifications.

He said four of the fair's rides had not been given permission to open, because they failed mechanical tests.

Republican Governor John Kasich said he had ordered a full investigation, while also ordering all fair rides to be shut down pending urgent safety checks.

"The fair is about the best things in life, and tonight with this accident it becomes a terrible, terrible tragedy," he said.

Sorry, this video has expired Ohio Governor John Kasich said the fair accident was a "terrible tragedy".

The company providing rides at the fair this year had described the Fire Ball as an "aggressive thrill" ride.

Amusements of America said the ride swung riders 12 metres into the air while rotating at 13 revolutions per minute.

AP/ABC