Sadly it hasn’t come as too much of a surprise to hear about this given several previous incidents we are already aware of involving the Smiler Ride at Alton Towers. The incident that took place yesterday that left four seriously hurt is a real tragedy.
The degree of health and safety in theme parts must be high and the duty of care for guests should never be allowed to fall short; to hear that a carriage carrying 16 thrill seekers was able to crash in to an empty one raises serious questions that must be addressed.
An incident like this should never be allowed to happen
These rides are tested rigorously and safety measures are put in place to stop people being injured when things go wrong. Normally the worst that can happen should be the occasional breakdown which simply stops the ride – but a collision should never be able to happen at all.
As well as the four seriously injured teenagers who had to be rope-rescued by emergency services, the other 12 on board the full carriage are said to have received minor injuries as well. Eyewitness reports tell of hearing a loud crash, screams, and shouting from those who were on the carriage. The Smiler ride had also broken down earlier in the day in a string of problems and incidents that the ride has faced in the two years it has been open.
Alton Towers remains closed today as investigations in to how this happened continue. Our thoughts are with those injured and affected by this tragic incident.