A few further bits off the Press Association etc from yesterday (5th June):
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The park has tweeted that it will also be closed tomorrow. It's statement said it hoped to open in the next few days.
The Health and Safety Executive says it has issued a Prohibition Notice on the Smiler ride.
The HSE statement in full
'HSE will today remove the carriages involved in the incident on 'The Smiler' rollercoaster on 2 June and transport them to the Health and Safety Laboratory in Buxton for further analysis.
The investigation into the incident continues and HSE inspectors remain on site. They have served a Prohibition notice on the rollercoaster stopping its use until action is taken to deal with the cause of the failure.
Neil Craig, Head of Operations for HSE in the Midlands said:
"The Notice is specific to the 'Smiler' ride and does not affect other rides at the park. HSE expects the park operator to apply any early learning from the incident to wider risk management at the site.
"The decision about when to re-open the Park is for the owners to make."'
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Ms Balch is among four people seriously injured after Alton Towers' Smiler ride came to a crashing halt on Tuesday afternoon when two carriages collided.
The other three seriously hurt have been named as Daniel Thorpe, a 27-year-old hotel assistant manager from Buxton in Derbyshire, textile design student Joe Pugh, 18, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and his girlfriend, Leah Washington, 17.
Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments which runs the Staffordshire visitor attraction, today said safety measures "were not adequate" at Alton Towers and defended the decision to close a number of other rides.
He said the group was adding "another layer" of safety measures to existing rides as a "precaution" against the prospect of another accident.
Alton Towers has been closed since the record-breaking Smiler ride crashed.
Today, bosses announced it had temporarily shut another Alton Towers ride, Saw, a similar rollercoaster at its Thorpe Park site, and two rides at Chessington World of Adventures - both in Surrey - to "reinforce the safe operation" of the attractions.
Mr Varney declined to comment on reports at least one of the passengers lost a leg following the crash when he appeared on Sky News.
He said "a rather unique set of circumstances (might) have played a contributory factor in the Smiler accident" and said his team was doing "everything" to help those affected.
He told Sky News: "What we have done today is put in another level of additional safety measures across all of our parks that operate these types of rides. All of them - bar two - have been able to implement those new procedures today.
"The two rides at Chessington that are currently suspended will take a few days before we can make the technical and training adjustments to bring them up to the new level of safety protocol - it doesn't mean they were not safe before.
"I think we have had very rigorous protocols across all our attractions. We have had the first - and I hope only accident - in one of our theme parks. We have to make sure that doesn't happen again.
"(Safety measures) clearly weren't adequate on Smiler, because the accident happened. We have taken steps to upgrade safety standards from what were already very stringent safety standards.
"I want to be able to look everybody in the eye and promise them when they come to our parks and get on our rides that they are safe."
The park is reckoned to be racking up losses of around #500,000 a day since the incident and it has also faced accusations staff dithered for 10 minutes before making the first 999 call, despite screams of distress from bloodied passengers on board Smiler.
Bosses today said Alton Towers is to re-open "within the next few days" but the ride involved in the crash will remain shut for the foreseeable future.
Since opening two years ago, the #18 million rollercoaster, which boasts a world-record 14 loops, has been closed twice because of safety concerns.
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ISSUED BY THEIR LAWYERS
"The family of Victoria Balch has been inundated by press enquiries following the serious injuries she sustained this week at the theme park. The family do not wish to comment at this stage and have asked all press enquiries to be directed to their solicitors, Stewarts Law who they have instructed to represent Victoria's interests following the incident.
Partner, Paul Paxton said: 'Whilst it is anticipated that there will be a substantial claim for damages to support Victoria in her recovery, the main focus at present for the family is Victoria's well-being and ensuring that the investigation into the accident is carried out swiftly and vigorously. They have every confidence in the police and the Health and Safety Executive. It is expected that serious consideration will be given to criminal prosecutions. The family are distraught that a fun day out could turn into such a potentially life-changing disaster.'
Victoria remains in hospital in a critical condition
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On AFP (Agence France Presse): AFP-Britain-leisure-incident
The operator of a British theme park where a rollercoaster crashed earlier this week, seriously injuring four people, said Friday it had closed three rides at other parks.
A total of 16 people required medical attention after the carriage they were in hit an empty carriage on The Smiler ride at Alton Towers, in central England, on Tuesday.
The resort has been closed since then and another similar ride, Saw, at Thorpe Park west of London, was also shut down following the accident.
Merlin Entertainments, which runs both parks, said The Smiler and Saw -- both made by Germany company Gerstlauer -- would remain closed "for the foreseeable future".
The firm said it had also introduced new safety protocols across all its rides, and two rollercoasters at a third park, Chessington World of Adventures, were temporarily closed while these protocols were implemented.
"This has been a terrible experience for everyone involved and one we sincerely regret," said Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments.
Two of the four people who suffered serious leg injuries in the crash, were reportedly teenagers on a first date.
"It is an accident that should not have happened, and we are determined that it will never happen again," he 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."
The Smiler opened in 2013 and is billed as the world's first 14-loop rollercoaster. The Alton Towers website said the ride is "not for the faint-hearted".
