MIAMI -- A ride at Miami's Holiday Village was shut down this weekend after a boy fell from his seat on one of the rides.

The child was recovering from minor injuries Monday, and the holiday attraction reopened Monday evening.

The carnival was operating, but the popular ride, called the Avalanche, remained closed while inspectors continued to pour over it to determine what went wrong.

The Avalanche -- a huge ride that forms the centerpiece of the carnival, is situated in the center of the Holiday Village overlooking Biscayne Bay.

Inspectors said the ride is popular at carnivals around the state, but after a full day of investigating, they were unable to find an obvious cause for the accident.

"Well, I've actually looked over the ride, checking different functions of the lap bar systems, checking the air compression system, and generally going over the ride thoroughly to see if there's anything that is obviously a mechanical problem, which I have not been able to find at this time," state inspector Jerry Winters said.

Inspectors said the young boy was seated somewhere near the middle of the ride when he fell. The ride had reportedly just started and hadn't completed its first revolution before it was stopped.

The carnival's promoter was assuring fairgoers Monday that the rides are safe, but Nelson Albarada said that out of an abundance of caution, the Avalanche would be removed, regardless of what inspectors find.

"Even though we heard the boy is fine and everything is fine, we still want to take the precaution and take the ride out of the park," Albareda said. "Safety is key, and (we'll) move on, and have a good show."

The ride remained on full display Monday, however, since it cannot be moved until the inspection is complete.

"It's like any piece of evidence," Winters said. "It can't be tampered with or moved until we've had a chance to thoroughly investigate it."

Winters said the Avalanche had been inspected Friday, before the fair opened, and that it was in good working condition.

The downtown village will remain open until Jan. 4, 2003.