Ted
TS Member
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They've changed their header on Twitter as well to remove the picture of some people that did the Big 6 challenge. I imagine that will be scrapped now.
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Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015
They've changed their header on Twitter as well to remove the picture of some people that did the Big 6 challenge. I imagine that will be scrapped now.
Danza91
TS Member
I'll put good money on this being false. Convenient they wish to remain anonymous as well.
I think that witness is talking rubbish, I'm not sure I'm allowed to post this or not, sorry if I'm not, on a trip last year on the first half of the ride the train was going very slowly so much that a few times i thought it would stall but it didn't as soon as I reported it they shut the ride down and it was closed for a few hours.
nikfonso
TS Member
I could never imagine an AT member of staff saying "mind your own business" to a member of the paying public! The staff at AT are the friendliest theme park staff that i have ever come across.
I'll always remember a few years back when me and my little girl were looking for a route to a ride across the park, a young lad who was picking up litter could see we were a bit lost and he come over to us on his own accord to tell us of a little short cut route to where we wanted to go.
I'll always remember a few years back when me and my little girl were looking for a route to a ride across the park, a young lad who was picking up litter could see we were a bit lost and he come over to us on his own accord to tell us of a little short cut route to where we wanted to go.
Martin
TS Member
Christ, they must be taking a massive hit by this. Lot of respect for them doing this though, it can't have been an easy decision, and it reflects well on them, hopefully will preserve people's confidence in them, it shows how seriously they're taking this and the safety of guests in general.
DiogoJ42
TS Member
Blimey, this is a tricky situation. The longer they stay closed, the more people will get angry that their plans have been scuppered. But then people will complain nomatter what they do. :/
It does make you wonder [SPECULATION ALERT] if they have uncovered some kind of deeper issue? But if it's something that could affect the whole park, that does imply a procedural problem over a problem with the ride itself. I hope not.
I wonder if the poor staff are still getting paid for these days, or are they losing out on the pittance Merlin throws at their feet at the end of the shift?
It does make you wonder [SPECULATION ALERT] if they have uncovered some kind of deeper issue? But if it's something that could affect the whole park, that does imply a procedural problem over a problem with the ride itself. I hope not.
I wonder if the poor staff are still getting paid for these days, or are they losing out on the pittance Merlin throws at their feet at the end of the shift?
I'm not sure of the need to close the entire park for this long though. I know Nick V said they want to check if this incident is related to just the Smiler or if it could affect other rides. We all know that the only rides at risk would be others made by the same company employing the same software/sensors etc, such as SAW, Speed etc. The other rides in the park are not affected.
If they are hoping to reassure people they are checking all their rides, then if they stay closed too long it may have the opposite effect, and people may worry there are issues on the other rides too. Not only that, but it may put more people off visiting. Reading Twitter there are a lot of understandably frustrated people who have booked hotels, like Holiday Inn, Premier Inn locally on a non refundable rate who will be out of pocket by this.
I dont recall the park closing when RMT crashed, and we all know that closing X Sector completely is all that needs to be realistically done to reopen the park.
I guess Towers management want to be seen as doing the right thing and ensuring all necessary checks are done, but at the same time, they dont want to put people off visiting completely in the future. Maybe they are worried of any possible public/media backlash if they open too soon.
If they are hoping to reassure people they are checking all their rides, then if they stay closed too long it may have the opposite effect, and people may worry there are issues on the other rides too. Not only that, but it may put more people off visiting. Reading Twitter there are a lot of understandably frustrated people who have booked hotels, like Holiday Inn, Premier Inn locally on a non refundable rate who will be out of pocket by this.
I dont recall the park closing when RMT crashed, and we all know that closing X Sector completely is all that needs to be realistically done to reopen the park.
I guess Towers management want to be seen as doing the right thing and ensuring all necessary checks are done, but at the same time, they dont want to put people off visiting completely in the future. Maybe they are worried of any possible public/media backlash if they open too soon.
TomLad
TS Member
By reading previous posts the beeb are not exactly reporting 100% truths. I wouldn't believe anything you hear or see in the press tbh.
Danza91
TS Member
I'm not, I'm merely, like everyone at this stage, speculating.
Kelpie
TS Member
Do remove if appropriate. A few bits and bobs that have come from the Press Association & others that have been sent to media outlets today.
------
ALTON TOWERS TO REMAIN CLOSED
By Press Association Reporters
Alton Towers will stay closed again tomorrow as it racks up losses potentially worth millions of pounds following a horrific rollercoaster crash.
Sixteen people were injured, four seriously, when two carriages on the Smiler ride collided at the Staffordshire theme park.
The resort was shut to the public following the "major incident" at around 2pm on Tuesday.
Merlin Entertainments, which runs the resort, is believed to have lost just under #1.5 million in the three days since the collision - around #500,000 a day.
An Alton Towers spokeswoman confirmed a decision had been taken to keep the park closed tomorrow as Health and Saftey Executive (HSE) remain on site.
He added: "Anybody with pre-booked tickets for Alton Towers tomorrow will be able to visit Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle or Legoland Windsor as an alternative."
Meanwhile, a man and a woman who were seriously injured in the incident have been named as Daniel Thorpe, a 27-year-old hotel assistant manager from Buxton in Derbyshire, and Vicky Balch, 19, from Leyland in Lancashire.
Mr Thorpe, who is thought to be recovering at University Hospital Coventry, works at the Izaak Walton Hotel near Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
He had previously worked at the Bentley Brook Inn in Fenny Bentley.
Landlady Wendy Livingstone said: "He worked here two years ago. He was liked by the customers and staff and enjoyed sport. Of course it has been a shock to us."
Textile design student Joe Pugh, 18, and his girlfriend Leah Washington, 17, were also seriously hurt in the crash.
Mr Pugh tweeted that he had been "overwhelmed" by the support people had shown since the accident.
He said: "So overwhelmed with the response I've had from my accident at Alton Towers. Thank you for everyone's concern."
Ms Washington is said to have been given a blood transfusion and morphine before she passed out following the collision.
Witnesses said the ride had experienced technical difficulties earlier in the day, with some claiming that the empty cart involved in the crash had been on a test run when it came to stop.
Neil Craig, head of operations for HSE in the Midlands, said that a specialist team of inspectors were at the scene in Staffordshire making inquiries.
He added: "Our role is to establish the facts. We will want to determine that those responsible for operating this ride have done what the law requires. We will also ensure that if there are any lessons to be learned, they are shared as
soon as possible.
"Although the investigation is in its early stages, we will take action to protect the public if we uncover evidence that could affect the safety of other rides at the park or elsewhere."
Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said the park could reopen only when the investigation had concluded but did not give a time-frame.
Writing in the Sun, he said: "At this point, I don't know if it was a technological or a human error. We want to know if this issue is isolated to The Smiler. We can't open again until we're sure."
Among those on board was Vanisha Singh, 29, who was in the second row of the carriage with her mother Chanda, 49, and her sister Meera, 26.
She told the Sun there had been "technical difficulties" moments before they embarked on the ride, as several test cars were sent ahead of them.
"We finally went up and were kept at the top for 10 or 15 minutes chatting, joking that we were the guinea pigs," she said.
Describing the crash, she added: "The metal safety bar smashed into our legs. There was loads of screaming. I felt a burning sensation in my pelvis, and back and neck pain.
"It was terrifying. There was blood all over the floor because it was pouring out of their legs in the carriage and dropping down. The doctors and firemen were covered in blood as they scaled the scaffolding to treat the guys on the
front row."
The four people who suffered critical injuries were airlifted to major trauma centres after the 16 occupants were rescued from 25ft in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees.
Some of the occupants suffered an ordeal which lasted more than four hours, with the evacuation not complete until 6.35pm.
Since opening two years ago, the #18 million rollercoaster, which boasts a world-record 14 loops, has been closed twice because of safety concerns.
------
FROM ALTON TOWERS:
Following The Smiler incident on 2nd June, Alton Towers will stay closed on Friday 5th June.
The Health and Safety Executive remain on site and Alton Towers is co-operating fully with their investigation. We also continue to communicate with the families of all those involved.
Anybody with pre-booked tickets for Alton Towers tomorrow will be able to visit Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle or Legoland Windsor as an alternative.
------
Alton Towers have confirmed that bosses were informed of the accident at 1357hrs on Tuesday. However the 999 call was not made until 1408hrs when the ambulance service was requested - 11 minutes after the crash.
Response timings:
A first responder based at Alton Towers was first on the scene at 1409hrs
The West Midlands Ambulance service were mobilised by 1411hrs
Ambulance service arrived at 1435
The West Midlands Ambulance Service called the Fire Service at 1441hrs. Alton Towers staff had not requested the fire service during their first 999 call at 1408hrs.
Alton Towers staff then called the fire service themselves at 1445hrs.
Alton Towers staff say they built a platform to reach the injured people. They will not confirm how long it took them to build the platform.
Response from Alton Towers:
Our community first responders, based on site at Alton Towers, are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service and form part of our security and medical teams. Once the incident occurred, a member of the ride staff would have called our first responders who arrived at the scene within minutes. After instant assessment they call our security department who then call 999 straight away.
Also due to the location of the incident on the ride it was necessary to build a platform in order to begin evacuation. Alton Towers staff began construction immediately which enabled the emergency services to reach those involved as soon as they arrived at the scene
-----
Press Association City Staff
The owner of Alton Towers is estimated to have racked up just under £1.5 million in lost revenue over the three days since a rollercoaster crash left 16 people injured.
Analysts estimate every day the 500-acre theme park in Staffordshire remains closed costs parent group Merlin Entertainments a little under £500,000.
Alton Towers, which also has two hotels, is understood to have generated around £110 million of revenues last year for the group.
Shares in Merlin have fallen just over 2.6% since the accident happened on Tuesday, wiping around £100 million off its stock market value.
Merlin is one of the biggest leisure and attraction groups in the world, and in the UK it owns Madame Tussauds, Legoland Parks, Thorpe Park, London Eye and Warwick Castle.
In total the business runs 100 attractions in 22 countries, including Japan, Dubai, Italy and Germany.
The group floated on the stock market in 2013 and has a market valuation of £4.5 billion.
However, Panmure Gordon analyst Anna Barnfather said the incident has come at a crucial time for the theme park, at the start of its busy summer season.
She said June accounts for around 10% of the theme park's annual revenues, while the key months of July and August make up a combined 35% of sales across the year.
Ms Barnfather added: "The concern is that this accident will have a knock-on effect in terms of fewer people coming to the park at the height of the summer season."
Brokers add that the group's other UK attractions such as Legoland and Chessington may also see a drop off in visitor numbers.
But Ms Barnfather added: "The effect may be minimal. This is because parks like Chessington are more family-based and have fewer thrill-seeking rides than Alton Towers, which has a younger profile."
Analysts said another effect may be longer lead times and more testing before Merlin launches new rides such as The Smiler, which cost £18 million and opened in May 2013.
The group, and The Smiler's German manufacturer Gerstlauer, could pay further costs in subsequent years if fines and penalties may be liable.
But Ms Barnfather said she believed that the theme park's reputation has not been damaged beyond repair.
She said: "Alton Towers will have a bad year this year, but the history of these sorts of incidents show that after a period of proper testing, visitors tend to come back 12 months later."
----
FROM ROYAL STOKE HOSPITAL:
A Trust spokesman said: "Clinicians at Royal Stoke University Hospital continue to treat three patients who were admitted via the Major Trauma Centre following serious injuries sustained in the incident at Alton Towers on Tuesday."
------
ALTON TOWERS TO REMAIN CLOSED
By Press Association Reporters
Alton Towers will stay closed again tomorrow as it racks up losses potentially worth millions of pounds following a horrific rollercoaster crash.
Sixteen people were injured, four seriously, when two carriages on the Smiler ride collided at the Staffordshire theme park.
The resort was shut to the public following the "major incident" at around 2pm on Tuesday.
Merlin Entertainments, which runs the resort, is believed to have lost just under #1.5 million in the three days since the collision - around #500,000 a day.
An Alton Towers spokeswoman confirmed a decision had been taken to keep the park closed tomorrow as Health and Saftey Executive (HSE) remain on site.
He added: "Anybody with pre-booked tickets for Alton Towers tomorrow will be able to visit Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle or Legoland Windsor as an alternative."
Meanwhile, a man and a woman who were seriously injured in the incident have been named as Daniel Thorpe, a 27-year-old hotel assistant manager from Buxton in Derbyshire, and Vicky Balch, 19, from Leyland in Lancashire.
Mr Thorpe, who is thought to be recovering at University Hospital Coventry, works at the Izaak Walton Hotel near Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
He had previously worked at the Bentley Brook Inn in Fenny Bentley.
Landlady Wendy Livingstone said: "He worked here two years ago. He was liked by the customers and staff and enjoyed sport. Of course it has been a shock to us."
Textile design student Joe Pugh, 18, and his girlfriend Leah Washington, 17, were also seriously hurt in the crash.
Mr Pugh tweeted that he had been "overwhelmed" by the support people had shown since the accident.
He said: "So overwhelmed with the response I've had from my accident at Alton Towers. Thank you for everyone's concern."
Ms Washington is said to have been given a blood transfusion and morphine before she passed out following the collision.
Witnesses said the ride had experienced technical difficulties earlier in the day, with some claiming that the empty cart involved in the crash had been on a test run when it came to stop.
Neil Craig, head of operations for HSE in the Midlands, said that a specialist team of inspectors were at the scene in Staffordshire making inquiries.
He added: "Our role is to establish the facts. We will want to determine that those responsible for operating this ride have done what the law requires. We will also ensure that if there are any lessons to be learned, they are shared as
soon as possible.
"Although the investigation is in its early stages, we will take action to protect the public if we uncover evidence that could affect the safety of other rides at the park or elsewhere."
Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said the park could reopen only when the investigation had concluded but did not give a time-frame.
Writing in the Sun, he said: "At this point, I don't know if it was a technological or a human error. We want to know if this issue is isolated to The Smiler. We can't open again until we're sure."
Among those on board was Vanisha Singh, 29, who was in the second row of the carriage with her mother Chanda, 49, and her sister Meera, 26.
She told the Sun there had been "technical difficulties" moments before they embarked on the ride, as several test cars were sent ahead of them.
"We finally went up and were kept at the top for 10 or 15 minutes chatting, joking that we were the guinea pigs," she said.
Describing the crash, she added: "The metal safety bar smashed into our legs. There was loads of screaming. I felt a burning sensation in my pelvis, and back and neck pain.
"It was terrifying. There was blood all over the floor because it was pouring out of their legs in the carriage and dropping down. The doctors and firemen were covered in blood as they scaled the scaffolding to treat the guys on the
front row."
The four people who suffered critical injuries were airlifted to major trauma centres after the 16 occupants were rescued from 25ft in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees.
Some of the occupants suffered an ordeal which lasted more than four hours, with the evacuation not complete until 6.35pm.
Since opening two years ago, the #18 million rollercoaster, which boasts a world-record 14 loops, has been closed twice because of safety concerns.
------
FROM ALTON TOWERS:
Following The Smiler incident on 2nd June, Alton Towers will stay closed on Friday 5th June.
The Health and Safety Executive remain on site and Alton Towers is co-operating fully with their investigation. We also continue to communicate with the families of all those involved.
Anybody with pre-booked tickets for Alton Towers tomorrow will be able to visit Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle or Legoland Windsor as an alternative.
------
Alton Towers have confirmed that bosses were informed of the accident at 1357hrs on Tuesday. However the 999 call was not made until 1408hrs when the ambulance service was requested - 11 minutes after the crash.
Response timings:
A first responder based at Alton Towers was first on the scene at 1409hrs
The West Midlands Ambulance service were mobilised by 1411hrs
Ambulance service arrived at 1435
The West Midlands Ambulance Service called the Fire Service at 1441hrs. Alton Towers staff had not requested the fire service during their first 999 call at 1408hrs.
Alton Towers staff then called the fire service themselves at 1445hrs.
Alton Towers staff say they built a platform to reach the injured people. They will not confirm how long it took them to build the platform.
Response from Alton Towers:
Our community first responders, based on site at Alton Towers, are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service and form part of our security and medical teams. Once the incident occurred, a member of the ride staff would have called our first responders who arrived at the scene within minutes. After instant assessment they call our security department who then call 999 straight away.
Also due to the location of the incident on the ride it was necessary to build a platform in order to begin evacuation. Alton Towers staff began construction immediately which enabled the emergency services to reach those involved as soon as they arrived at the scene
-----
Press Association City Staff
The owner of Alton Towers is estimated to have racked up just under £1.5 million in lost revenue over the three days since a rollercoaster crash left 16 people injured.
Analysts estimate every day the 500-acre theme park in Staffordshire remains closed costs parent group Merlin Entertainments a little under £500,000.
Alton Towers, which also has two hotels, is understood to have generated around £110 million of revenues last year for the group.
Shares in Merlin have fallen just over 2.6% since the accident happened on Tuesday, wiping around £100 million off its stock market value.
Merlin is one of the biggest leisure and attraction groups in the world, and in the UK it owns Madame Tussauds, Legoland Parks, Thorpe Park, London Eye and Warwick Castle.
In total the business runs 100 attractions in 22 countries, including Japan, Dubai, Italy and Germany.
The group floated on the stock market in 2013 and has a market valuation of £4.5 billion.
However, Panmure Gordon analyst Anna Barnfather said the incident has come at a crucial time for the theme park, at the start of its busy summer season.
She said June accounts for around 10% of the theme park's annual revenues, while the key months of July and August make up a combined 35% of sales across the year.
Ms Barnfather added: "The concern is that this accident will have a knock-on effect in terms of fewer people coming to the park at the height of the summer season."
Brokers add that the group's other UK attractions such as Legoland and Chessington may also see a drop off in visitor numbers.
But Ms Barnfather added: "The effect may be minimal. This is because parks like Chessington are more family-based and have fewer thrill-seeking rides than Alton Towers, which has a younger profile."
Analysts said another effect may be longer lead times and more testing before Merlin launches new rides such as The Smiler, which cost £18 million and opened in May 2013.
The group, and The Smiler's German manufacturer Gerstlauer, could pay further costs in subsequent years if fines and penalties may be liable.
But Ms Barnfather said she believed that the theme park's reputation has not been damaged beyond repair.
She said: "Alton Towers will have a bad year this year, but the history of these sorts of incidents show that after a period of proper testing, visitors tend to come back 12 months later."
----
FROM ROYAL STOKE HOSPITAL:
A Trust spokesman said: "Clinicians at Royal Stoke University Hospital continue to treat three patients who were admitted via the Major Trauma Centre following serious injuries sustained in the incident at Alton Towers on Tuesday."
Rob
TS Team
That is assuming that the problem is related specifically to Gerstlauer. We do not know that at all. If, for example, human error played a part in the incident then it could well mean that other rides in the park are affected. It could be down to insufficient park wide and ride procedures or staff training (all speculation).
If they were to open the park tomorrow (minus The Smiler) with no changes at all then there is still an extremely low chance of an incident such as this happening. But as it has happened Towers and the HSE need to look into all the risks and ensure that standards are adequate. Something went badly wrong, something cannot go badly wrong again.
DiogoJ42
TS Member
When I joined the BBC back in 2001*, they had a strict policy of not reporting news until it had been confirmed by two indipendant sources. They were't interested in "getting the scoop first", that was for tabloids and Sky. They wanted to be accurate.
... These days it seems they will gladly just read out tweets live on air from any random person.
* Legal disclaimer: I no longer work for them and this is only my personal opinion.
... These days it seems they will gladly just read out tweets live on air from any random person.
* Legal disclaimer: I no longer work for them and this is only my personal opinion.
TomLad
TS Member
Out of curiosity, what did you do for them?
DiogoJ42
TS Member
Nothing involving news, tbh. I'm a vision engineer... it's a hard job to discribe, but long story short: I control the exposure and colour balance of the cameras, and work along side the lighting crew.
But anyway, back on topic....
Kelpie
TS Member
I don't know which parts they have reported and which they're waiting to further verify after receiving it from PA
I suppose a tweet from the affected person is a little different. But yeah, it can seem rather 'youtube' commenty at times.
On a different note, on a Girl Guide Leaders group I'm in on facebook, one leader said she was nervous about taking her Guides to AT for the sleepovers they have planned, and everyone else has said "Don't be daft! There's nothing to be worried about."