Alton Towers remains shut amid Smiler smash investigation

Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments – which runs the Staffordshire attraction – said a fail-safe designed to prevent the sort of accident which left four people with serious injuries yesterday “didn’t work the way it used to”.

Bloody images from the scene were posted to social media after two carriages crashed on a section of the 50mph Smiler ride.

Two men aged 27 and 18 and two females aged 19 and 17 suffered serious leg injuries in the crash. The other 12 occupants – six men and six women – required medical treatment, including a man in his 20s who suffered neck and abdominal injuries.

Mr Varney made the decision to close the park after the crash and says he is unable to comment on when it might reopen.

“The Smiler is a relatively new ride, all rides have teething problems when they open. Guest safety on those sorts of incidents is not really a major issue in the sense that when you’re on a rollercoaster car, the car can’t come off the track and you are restrained in the seats.”

Alton Towers boss says human error being considered along with other possibilities. Safety of other rides being looked at. #c4news

— Ciaran Jenkins (@C4Ciaran) June 3, 2015

“Of course I would ride Smiler rollercoaster again,” Alton Towers boss Nick Varney tells #c4news pic.twitter.com/KxCqKyOZqw

— Ciaran Jenkins (@C4Ciaran) June 3, 2015

Investigators are now looking into the possible cause of the incident.

The four people who suffered critical injuries were airlifted to major trauma centres after the 16 occupants were rescued from 25 feet up in the air at an angle of roughly 45 degrees.

The £18m Smiler, which boasts a record 14 loops, has been closed twice because of safety concerns. In July 2013 it was closed after reports a bolt had fallen from the ride. In November the same year the rollercoaster was closed after plastic guard wheels came loose and hit front-row riders.