A SIX-year-old girl died and seven other children were injured, two seriously, when a poorly-secured bouncy castle flew 14 metres into the air in northeast Spain.

The children were playing on the bouncy castle outside the Mas Oller restaurant in Caldes de Malavella, a town in Girona, on Catalonia’s Costa Brava coast, where their parents were eating.

According to witnesses, the newly installed inflatable play area landed around 40 metres from its original position outside the restaurant. Part of the castle hit the restaurant’s roof.

Reports in the local media stated that the police believe the bouncy castle had been secured at just two of its six anchor points.

Some restaurant patrons reported hearing a loud noise like an explosion just before the bouncy castle took to the air.

The six-year-old girl suffered serious injuries and died a few hours later in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Barcelona. There were six other boys and girls, aged between three and 11, on the bouncvy castle at the time and all were injured.

A nine-year-old boy, one of three to be taken to hospital by helicopter, remains in intensive care with multiple injuries, and a girl, seven, also spent the night in hospital. Five children aged between two and 11 were treated for minor injuries in a nearby Girona hospital.

Restaurant owner Jaume Matas said that he had only installed the attraction on March 14, and that he had no idea why the accident had taken place.

“Perhaps it was a gust of wind,” he said.

The local mayor, Salvador Balliu told Catalunya Radio that the restaurant had not applied for the necessary license when installing the attraction.

No arrests had been made at time of publication.

Catalonia’s president, Carles Puigdemont, tweeted a message of condolence to the family of the dead girl. “All my condolences to the family in this tragedy. All my solidarity and affection in these moments of such pain. Rest in peace.”