Four seriously injured as rollercoaster carriages collide
Four teenagers have suffered serious leg injuries in a collision between two carriages on Alton Towers amusement park's Smiler rollercoaster in the UK.
The accident, at around 2.09pm, involved a moving carriage with 16 passengers and an empty, stationary carriage which came together on a low section of the track.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said that four teenagers - two males and two females - were seriously injured in the crash, while the other 12 occupants required triage.
Visitors to Alton Towers reported on social media that the ride had broken down earlier today.
An Alton Towers spokeswoman said: "The emergency services including the air ambulance are now in attendance and are assisting resort staff as they work to evacuate those 16 people still on the ride.
"We can confirm that four guests have sustained serious injuries, and they are being treated at the scene until they can be evacuated.
"There will be a full investigation once all the guests have been evacuated, which is our priority."
Three air ambulances attended the scene together with four ambulances and several senior paramedic managers.
A platform was built to help emergency services reach the occupants of the ride, who were approximately 25 feet up in the air at an angle of around 45 degrees.
Danny Simm, a musician and songwriter who is also a radio presenter on 96.5 Bolton FM, who witnessed the aftermath of the accident, said that a number of people appeared to be badly injured.
He tweeted: "People unconscious, knocked out. Blood everywhere. It really was shocking. Air ambulances landing now, people still stuck."
The £18m ride, opened in May 2013, has been closed down twice before because of technical issues.
It is billed as the world's first 14-loop rollercoaster and holds the official Guiness World Record for most loops, according to the Alton Towers website.
The resort claims that it features "a series of twisted psychological effects including optical illusions, blinding lights and near-misses designed to mess with your mind".
In July 2013, The Smiler was closed after reports that a bolt was seen to have fallen from the ride.
In November of that year, the rollercoaster was closed after plastic guard wheels came loose and hit front-row riders.
Alton Towers amusement park will remain closed tomorrow while an investigation into a “dreadful” accident on a rollercoaster which left four teenagers with serious injuries continues.
The accident happened at around 2pm on the Staffordshire resort’s 50mph Smiler ride when two carriages crashed on a low section of the track.
Two males and two female teenagers suffered serious leg injuries in the crash, while the other 12 occupants required triage.
Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, which runs the resort, said: “This has been a terrible incident and a devastating day for everyone here.
“I would like to express my sincerest regret and apology to everyone who suffered injury and distress today and to their families.
“The safety of our visitors is our primary concern. The park will remain closed until we understand better the cause of this dreadful incident.
“I would like to thank the emergency services for their swift and effective response today – they were outstanding.
“A full investigation is now under way and we will continue to work closely with the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive.”
An Alton Towers spokeswoman said that the park hopes to open again on Thursday and customers with tickets for tomorrow could seek a revalidation or a refund through the park’s website.
