UK theme park crash leaves four seriously injured

Local media have reported that Alton Towers theme park will remain closed on Wednesday as an investigation takes place into an incident on a rollercoaster.

The accident, which occurred at around 2pm on Tuesday, left four people seriously injured and stranded for hours along with a dozen other passengers. The incident occurred when a carriage carrying 16 passengers collided with an empty one on a low section of the track of the Smiler ride, which can reach speeds of up to 50mph, according to the Guardian.

Passengers were left trapped more than 20 feet from the ground at an angle of about 45 degrees before they were eventually freed by emergency workers and stretchered away. Some of the passengers were said to have sustained life-changing injuries.

The incident is the most serious to happen at the 35-year-old Staffordshire resort, which attracts around three million visitors each year.

The injured included two men aged 27 and 18 and two women aged 19 and 17 who suffered serious leg injuries in the crash. The other 12 occupants – six men and six women – required less urgent medical attention.

Many used social media to report their reactions upon witnessing the accident. The Guardian reports Danny Simm, a musician and songwriter, who witnessed the aftermath of the accident, tweeting: “People unconscious, knocked out. Blood everywhere. It really was shocking.”

Sophie Underwood, who was waiting to board the ride, told the BBC: “They had made quite a few announcements to say there were technical difficulties. They were sending coaches around with nobody on them. And then they said they had sorted it out so they decided to put people on the coach.”

Those who suffered critical injuries were airlifted to major trauma centres.

The 16 occupants’ ordeal lasted over four hours, with their evacuation taking until until 6.35pm.

Ian Crabbe, Alton Towers divisional director, admitted to reporters that he had not been alerted to issues that the Smiler reportedly suffered earlier in the day.

“This ride has had its issues to start with, which is fairly normal for a big rollercoaster. I think it would be unfair to reflect on those issues, which were originally part of the ride when we first opened it, and say they are connected to this incident, which I don’t believe they are,” he told reporters.

The incident is not the first involving the Smiler, which has been closed on two occasions because of safety concerns since opening two years ago.

The ride, which features a world record-breaking 14 loops, was closed in July 2013 after reports that a bolt appeared to have fallen from the ride and it was closed again in November that year after plastic guard wheels came loose and hit front-row riders.

According to the Guardian, during a previous scare, 16 journalists were left stranded on the Smiler for around 30 minutes during a preview ride before it opened to the public in May 2013.

A full investigation with the involvement of the Health and Safety Executive was last night underway at the park, whose owner was experiencing drops in its share price.