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| Alton Towers visitors left trapped after Galactaca ride breaks down | Alton Towers visitors left trapped after Galactaca ride breaks down |
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| Dozens of people were left trapped on a rollercoaster after it ground to a halt in heavy rain at Alton Towers. | |
| Air Galactaca stopped at around 2pm on Monday, leaving 28 people stuck in "mid-air" on the ride after rainfall at the park blocked a sensor. | Air Galactaca stopped at around 2pm on Monday, leaving 28 people stuck in "mid-air" on the ride after rainfall at the park blocked a sensor. |
| The Staffordshire theme park said it removed all 28 people safely from the ride within 19 minutes, however some witnesses have claimed rescue efforts took between 30 and 40 minutes. | The Staffordshire theme park said it removed all 28 people safely from the ride within 19 minutes, however some witnesses have claimed rescue efforts took between 30 and 40 minutes. |
| Writing on Twitter, theme-park visitor, Thomas Symons said: "So being stuck mid air in the pouring rain on Galactica for 30 minutes was not pleasant." Another Twitter user said: "We were stuck at the top of it for 40 minutes! Still shaking!" | Writing on Twitter, theme-park visitor, Thomas Symons said: "So being stuck mid air in the pouring rain on Galactica for 30 minutes was not pleasant." Another Twitter user said: "We were stuck at the top of it for 40 minutes! Still shaking!" |
| Some riders also claimed they had been trapped upside-down on the rollercoaster, which, according to the park, is the first ride to use graphics on headsets, giving riders a sense of virtual reality along with the loops and turns. The claims have been disputed by an Alton Towers spokesperson. | Some riders also claimed they had been trapped upside-down on the rollercoaster, which, according to the park, is the first ride to use graphics on headsets, giving riders a sense of virtual reality along with the loops and turns. The claims have been disputed by an Alton Towers spokesperson. |
| Others praised Alton Towers' staff for keeping those stuck "calm and informed" throughout the incident. The ride has since re-opened. | Others praised Alton Towers' staff for keeping those stuck "calm and informed" throughout the incident. The ride has since re-opened. |
| The theme park said in a statement: "Heavy rain obscured a sensor on Galactica which meant that the ride was automatically stopped. | The theme park said in a statement: "Heavy rain obscured a sensor on Galactica which meant that the ride was automatically stopped. |
| "This is a standard safety feature on this ride and the ride was working exactly as it is designed to do. | "This is a standard safety feature on this ride and the ride was working exactly as it is designed to do. |
| "The health and safety of our guests is our number one priority and our team followed standard procedures to get the guests off as quickly and as safely as possible. | "The health and safety of our guests is our number one priority and our team followed standard procedures to get the guests off as quickly and as safely as possible. |
| The incident comes nearly a year after five people were left with serious injuries following a crash on the theme park’s Smiler rollercoaster. | |
| The accident on 2 June 2015 left two young women, Vicky Balch and Leah Washington, needing leg amputations after their carriage collided with a stationary car. | |
| Merlin, the company that operates the theme park, admitted breaching health and safety laws over the Smiler rollercoaster crash indicating a guilty plea to a charge of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act in court in April. | Merlin, the company that operates the theme park, admitted breaching health and safety laws over the Smiler rollercoaster crash indicating a guilty plea to a charge of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act in court in April. |