Family welcome report after girl fatally choked by hijab on go-kart

Ruwaida Adan died in hospital four days after the incident

A family have welcomed a coroner's report about safety concerns, after a girl died when her hijab became caught in a go-kart due to a lack of checks.

Ruwaida Adan was go-karting in Barking, east London, when her headscarf caught in the moving parts of the vehicle and pulled tight round her neck in 2021.

Her family said they hoped changes would be made to spare families the "agony of losing their loved one".

Capital Karts said it had reviewed safety following the tragedy.

Earlier this month, an inquest jury concluded there had been no safety check to ensure Ruwaida removed her headscarf before she got into the kart, and no mechanic check of the vehicle.

Ruwaida had been taking part in a youth scheme day out at the karting track

The inquest heard the 15-year-old, from Newham, east London, should have been instructed to remove her hijab.

Instead Ruwaida, who had been taking part in a youth scheme day out at the karting track, started to race while wearing her headscarf underneath her helmet.

The scarf became entangled in the kart's moving parts, pulled tight around her neck and she was asphyxiated.

She died in hospital from her injuries four days later on 10 August 2021.

The inquest also heard the kart was in such a condition it should not have been driven, with parts of the vehicle which should have covered moving parts being missing or absent.

Ruwaida's family also told the inquest she had only started wearing a hijab near the time of her death and she would have taken it off if instructed to do so by staff at the karting venue, according to their lawyer.

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In a statement, the teenager's family described Ruwaida as "sweet and compassionate to everyone she met", and said she had the "most contagious laugh".

"We miss Ruwaida every second of every day," they added.

Following the inquest, assistant coroner Leanne Woods issued a prevention of future deaths report in which she said concerns needed to be addressed by Capital Karts, including track marshals regularly not spotting loose clothing or hair hanging outside a race suit.

In a statement, Capital Karts said: "Everyone at Capital Karts was deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Miss Adan, and our sympathies are with her family and friends.

"We co-operated fully with the authorities in their investigation and reviewed all of our safety procedures following the accident.

"We confirm that we will respond to the coroner's request within the relevant time frame."

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