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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Alton Towers Smiler accident victims named | Alton Towers Smiler accident victims named |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two teenagers have been named as victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster accident. | Two teenagers have been named as victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster accident. |
| Joe Pugh, 18, and his girlfriend Leah Washington, from Barnsley, were riding on the Smiler on Tuesday. | |
| Two carriages crashed on the ride at the Staffordshire theme park, leaving some passengers trapped for four-and-a-half hours about 25ft (7.6m) up in the air. | |
| Mr Pugh and Miss Washington and another man and a woman suffered leg injuries. | Mr Pugh and Miss Washington and another man and a woman suffered leg injuries. |
| Oaks Working Men's Club, in Barnsley, where Joe works said: "We at The Oaks WMC would like to extend our prayers and best wishes in the speedy recovery of our barman Joe Pugh and his girlfriend Leah Washington." | Oaks Working Men's Club, in Barnsley, where Joe works said: "We at The Oaks WMC would like to extend our prayers and best wishes in the speedy recovery of our barman Joe Pugh and his girlfriend Leah Washington." |
| The BBC's Declan Wilson spoke to friends of Miss Washington, who said she was the more badly injured. One friend said she had injuries on her legs, hips and hands. | |
| Closed for a second day | Closed for a second day |
| Alton Towers said on social media that it would be closing the park on Thursday, for a second day, as an investigation into the cause of the accident continued. | Alton Towers said on social media that it would be closing the park on Thursday, for a second day, as an investigation into the cause of the accident continued. |
| Nick Varney, chief executive of the park's owners Merlin Entertainments, said: "A full investigation is now under way and we will continue to work closely with the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive to better understand the cause of this terrible accident." | |
| The accident happened at around 14:00 BST on Tuesday, leaving 16 people stuck in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees. | The accident happened at around 14:00 BST on Tuesday, leaving 16 people stuck in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees. |
| The park said the carriage carrying the people was travelling at 20mph when it crashed. | The park said the carriage carrying the people was travelling at 20mph when it crashed. |
| Four people were airlifted to major trauma centres across the West Midlands. | Four people were airlifted to major trauma centres across the West Midlands. |
| People at the theme park reported hearing "a loud crash" when the collision happened. | People at the theme park reported hearing "a loud crash" when the collision happened. |
| 'Get well soon pal' | 'Get well soon pal' |
| Mr Pugh, a textile design student at the University of Huddersfield, has been supported on social media by his friends. | Mr Pugh, a textile design student at the University of Huddersfield, has been supported on social media by his friends. |
| "Wishing Joe Pugh and his girlfriend a speedy recovery," Kay Eggleston wrote. | "Wishing Joe Pugh and his girlfriend a speedy recovery," Kay Eggleston wrote. |
| Ross William Gibson wrote: "Can't believe when I wrote this I didn't know one of the four was my friend Joe Pugh and his girlfriend. Get well soon pal." | Ross William Gibson wrote: "Can't believe when I wrote this I didn't know one of the four was my friend Joe Pugh and his girlfriend. Get well soon pal." |
| Infinity Coaster rides | |
| One of the men who operated the Smiler ride when it opened in 2013, who only gave his first name as Mark, said he was "frustrated" the accident happened. | |
| "I am frustrated that such a simple error has been made, knowing myself how the system should function and that it is one of the safest rides I've ever worked on. | |
| "One carriage should only be in a certain block section at a time. | |
| "When the empty carriage didn't make it to the next block section after a certain amount of time, the ride should have stopped any other carriages being sent and entering that block." |