'Stop this ride!' Dramatic footage of aftermath of Alton Towers Smiler crash which left four people seriously injured
Dramatic footage has emerged of the aftermath of a crash on Alton Towers' Smiler ride today, which left four people seriously injured.
The footage shows a train on the ride rolling backwards, as one man is heard pleading for the ride to be stopped.
The accident involved two carriages - one containing 16 passengers and the other empty - which came together on a low section of the track, at around 2.09pm.
A press conference held at Alton Towers was told that the most serious injuries suffered by three teenagers and a 27-year-old man were not life-threatening. Tonight the park announced that it would not be opening tomorrow "following the dreadful incident", which a spokesman described as the worst in its history.
Three of the most seriously injured victims have been taken to the Royal Stoke Hospital and the other to University Hospital Coventry after receiving emergency treatment. Their families have all been informed.
999 call made at 2.09pm.
Four people; a 27-year-old man, 18-year-old male and two female passengers aged 17 and 19, suffer serious leg injuries
Reports say the crash involved a stationary carriage that had been sent to test the track after an earlier problem
16 treated in all
Platform built for emergency services to reach riders 25ft in the air, at a 45degree angle.
Rope rescue staff working to release and treat the four seriously injured teenagers.
12 other riders with minor injuries
Most seriously injured airlifted to major trauma centres at University Hospital Coventry and Royal Stoke University Hospital
Thirty-two firefighters from Staffordshire sent to the scene
Witnesses report hearing passengers screaming for help, some covered in blood
Theme park says it will carry out a full investigation and will not open on Wednesday
Concerned relatives can ring 0800 056 0154[/breakout]
Emergency services scrambled to the scene, including the West Midlands Air Ambulance, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Staffordshire Police.
Staffordshire Fire Service sent 32 firefighters.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "There were 16 occupants on board the carriage which collided with a stationary unoccupied carriage. A platform was built in order for emergency services to reach the occupants on the ride who were approximately 25 feet up in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees.
"The Trust's HART paramedics, doctors, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Alton Towers' rope rescue staff worked at height to carefully release and treat the occupants. The focus on the emergency services was to treat and release four of the occupants who were the most seriously injured.
"Two males (18 years and 27 years) and two females (19 years and 17 years) sustained lower leg injuries. All four were given advanced trauma care, pain relief and immobilisation and were each carefully extricated from the ride and onto the platform before being lowered to the ground.
"The 27-year-old male was then airlifted to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire whilst the others were flown to Royal Stoke University Hospital for further emergency treatment.
"The remaining 12 occupants, six women and six men, suffered less serious injuries. They were released one at a time over a time period of four hours and lowered to the ground in order for a further assessment of their condition. One of the twelve, a male in his 20s was treated for neck and abdominal injury and was taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital by land ambulance for further assessment and treatment."
The area of the park was closed to allow the emergency services access.
Ian Crabbe, director of Alton Towers Resort said: "May I first say that my colleagues and I are devastated by what has happened here today, and our only priority at this time is to work with the emergency services to get the 16 people affected off the ride safely, and most importantly those who are injured are being cared for.
"Our concern is with and for them and for their safety, and all our thoughts and efforts are focused on them.
"Just to recap at around 2pm this afternoon there was an incident on the Smiler ride involving two carriages coming together on a low section of the track. One of the carriages was empty and the other had 16 guests in.
"The park's first responder team were on site in minutes, and the emergency services shortly after. The emergency services, including the air ambulances, remain in attendance and are assisting resort staff as they work to evacuate those 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.
"A full investigation is underway, and representatives of the Health and Safety Executive are already on site and working with us.
"But as I said our absolute priority at the moment is to ensure that all the guests affected are safely off the ride and are being cared for."
Visitors to Alton Towers reported on social media that the ride had broken down earlier today.
Lucy Farrugia said: "Smiler broke down when I was on it this morning and now it's crashed. Hope everyone on it is OK, saw the air ambulance arrive."
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."
Nick Varney, Chief Executive of Merlin Entertainments, which operates Alton Towers, 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 underway and we will continue to work closely with the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive."
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."
Ms Underwood described a carriage carrying passengers crashing into another that was stationary at the top of the ride.
"It was quite scary. There was a big crash and as soon as everybody heard the crash, everybody started walking back and leaving the ride," she said.
Kirstie Newman, aged 21, was at Alton Towers with a group of friends from Staffordshire University, celebrating handing in their last piece of work.
The radio production student, originally from Milton Keynes, said: "They closed the X-Sector of the park, which is where The Smiler and Oblivion rides are.
"We didn't see it and it was only when we were checking the ride times that someone told us.
"We queued up for Nemesis but a friend of mine didn't want to go on after what had happened with The Smiler.
"People in the queue were getting phone calls and messages from parents and friends who had all heard something had happened and wanted to check they were OK."
Following the incident, Alton Towers' owner Merlin Entertainments was the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 after the crash, with its shares down three per cent.
The Smiler at Alton Towers famously got stuck last year.
Terrified riders were trapped around 100 feet in the air when it ground to a halt at the top of a vertical section and more than a dozen people were stranded.
When it opened in May 2013, the £18 million ride broke a Guinness World Record for the most loops - 14 over a 1,170 metre (3,838ft) length. The ride can reach 52.8mph.
It stalled on its launch night as well after a couple of runs, which left rapper Tinchy Stryder disappointed as he was waiting to go on it at the time. Sixteen people had to be rescued from the ride after it appeared to break down during a press launch and the planned opening was then delayed due to technical issues.
In July that year it was forced to close again after a part flew off and landed just yards from people queuing. Thrill-seekers told how a piece of metal broke away from the ride before landing near to them. A gap appeared in the track and the ride was closed down.
It closed again in the August after cracks appeared around the base of a giant metal support.
Then in November 2013 wheels fell off and hit four people in the front carriage.[/breakout]
