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3rd LD Writethru: Four people seriously injured in British theme park rollercoaster accident

Xinhua, June 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

Four people have been seriously injured as two carriages collided on the "Smiler" rollercoaster at Alton Towers, a famous theme park in Staffordshire on Tuesday afternoon.

Sixteen people were riding in one carriage on the attraction when it crashed into an empty stationary carriage at about 2 p.m. local time, according to West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS).

All 16 victims have been evacuated finally from the ride after they were left suspended in mid-air for several hours, according to the Alton Towers.

The four most severely injured people included two males and two females. They have significant lower limb injuries.

The victims were approximately 8 meters up in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees. Rescuers have built up a platform in order to reach them.

Two of the most severely injured have been sent to the Royal Stoke University Hospital and while the other two to the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, said WMAS.

Merlin Entertainment, which runs the resort, said in a statement: "There has been an incident on the Smiler this afternoon 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."

Danny Simm, who was at the theme park when the accident happened, tweeted: "People unconscious, knocked out. Blood everywhere. It really was shocking. Air ambulances landing now, people still stuck."

The resort said their first aid staff were on the scene immediately to assist with the evacuation and the area has been closed to allow for access to emergency services vehicles.

Alton Towers theme park, built in 1980, is the flagship attraction of Merlin Entertainments in the Britain. The Smiler opened in May 2013 and is billed as the world's first 14-loop rollercoaster.

It holds the official Guinness World Record for most loops in a rollercoaster, according to the Alton Towers website. Endit