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Alton Towers Smiler crash: Four rollercoasters shut Alton Towers Smiler crash: Four rollercoasters shut
(35 minutes later)
Four rollercoasters at three theme parks have been shut after a crash at Alton Towers in which 16 people were injured, four seriously.Four rollercoasters at three theme parks have been shut after a crash at Alton Towers in which 16 people were injured, four seriously.
The Smiler, which crashed, and Saw, a similar ride at Thorpe Park, would both be shut "for the foreseeable future", owner Merlin Entertainments said.The Smiler, which crashed, and Saw, a similar ride at Thorpe Park, would both be shut "for the foreseeable future", owner Merlin Entertainments said.
Two rides at Chessington World of Adventures have also been closed until new safety protocols have been applied.Two rides at Chessington World of Adventures have also been closed until new safety protocols have been applied.
Merlin Entertainments said the victims of the crash would "want for nothing".
Alton Towers said the park would be closed again on Saturday.Alton Towers said the park would be closed again on Saturday.
A prohibition notice has been served on the Smiler ride by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors, stopping its use "until action is taken to deal with the cause of the failure".A prohibition notice has been served on the Smiler ride by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors, stopping its use "until action is taken to deal with the cause of the failure".
'Devastating experience' Compensation
Two carriages, one of which was empty, crashed on Tuesday, leaving some passengers trapped for four-and-a-half hours.Two carriages, one of which was empty, crashed on Tuesday, leaving some passengers trapped for four-and-a-half hours.
Two men, 27 and 18, a woman, 19, and a girl, 17, have suffered serious leg injuries and remain in hospital. Two men, 27 and 18, a woman, 19, and a girl, 17, suffered serious leg injuries and remain in hospital.
Daniel Thorpe, 27, underwent surgery on Thursday, the BBC understands.Daniel Thorpe, 27, underwent surgery on Thursday, the BBC understands.
Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said: "Whilst the investigation into the causes is continuing, we have identified a series of additional safety protocols that we are implementing immediately across our multi-car rollercoasters. Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said it was the "first major accident we've had on a ride in the company's history".
"This has been a devastating experience, and we are committed to learning the lessons from it." "Our first priority has been to look after the people on that ride," he said.
Bosses hope to reopen Alton Towers in the "next few days". "We want to do everything we possibly can to support those families [most severely affected].
"We haven't managed to make contact with all of them and we are desperately trying to do that.
"They will want for nothing in the sense of what they need, be it accommodation, transport anything.
"And of course there will not be any question of them needing to go through the anguish of arguing for compensation."
Bosses hope to reopen Alton Towers in the "next few days", but the Smiler ride will remain closed until the cause of the accident is known.
Mr Varney said there was "no conclusive answer yet", but the firm believed it was caused by a "rather unique sequence of events".
It is estimated the park has been losing up to £500,000 a day since Tuesday.It is estimated the park has been losing up to £500,000 a day since Tuesday.
Sam Bailey, 30, from Kent, said she had been in the same row of the Smiler ride as those injured only a week earlier. Safety protocols
Sam Bailey, 30, from Kent, said she had been in the same row of the Smiler ride only a few days ago as those injured.
"By chance I was sat on the front row of the carriage" she said."By chance I was sat on the front row of the carriage" she said.
"It's crazy to think after seeing the pictures. I happened to be sitting on the same seat as them only a few days earlier.""It's crazy to think after seeing the pictures. I happened to be sitting on the same seat as them only a few days earlier."
Ms Bailey was also at Chessington World of Adventure in Surrey on Thursday and said the Dragonsfury ride was shut down soon after 15:00 BST.Ms Bailey was also at Chessington World of Adventure in Surrey on Thursday and said the Dragonsfury ride was shut down soon after 15:00 BST.
The park's Rattlesnake ride is also closed.The park's Rattlesnake ride is also closed.
A Chessington spokeswoman said the two rides were safe, but staff working on them needed further training before they could be reopened, which she hoped would not take more than a few days. Mr Varney said extra safety protocols had been introduced across Merlin's theme parks, but it would take a few days to implement those on two Chessington rides as they used "different operating systems".
An "additional set of safety protocols and procedures that will reinforce the safe operation of our multi-car rollercoasters" has been implemented and was "effective immediately", Merlin Entertainments said. He said Thorpe Park's Saw ride had been closed until the cause of the Alton Towers crash is known as it was made by the same manufacturer and was essentially a "very similar ride" to the Smiler.
It added it was co-operating fully with the HSE and intended to complete a "thorough appraisal" of its safety processes at Alton Towers "in the near future". Merlin said it was co-operating fully with the HSE investigation and intended to complete a "thorough appraisal" of its safety processes at Alton Towers "in the near future".
The HSE said carriages involved in the Smiler crash would be removed later and taken to its laboratory in Buxton for further analysis.The HSE said carriages involved in the Smiler crash would be removed later and taken to its laboratory in Buxton for further analysis.
It said the prohibition notice did not affect other rides at Alton Towers.It said the prohibition notice did not affect other rides at Alton Towers.
What do you think about the closure of the rides at Alton Towers? Have you already purchased weekend tickets for Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Have you been affected by the crash at Alton Towers? What do you think about the closure of the rides? Have you already purchased weekend tickets for Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Please leave a contact number if you are willing to speak with a BBC journalist.Please leave a contact number if you are willing to speak with a BBC journalist.