Friday, 05 June 2015 15:51

Four Roller Coasters Shut

Four roller coasters at three theme parks in the UK have been shut after the crash on The Smiler at Alton Towers in which 16 people were injured, four seriously.

The Smiler, which crashed, and SAW - The Ride, another multi-car roller coaster manufactured by Gerstlauer which is at Thorpe Park, have both been shut "for the foreseeable future" according to Merlin Entertainments.

Two other multi-car roller coasters, Dragon's Fury and Rattlesnake at Chessington World of Adventures, have also been closed until new safety protocols have been applied.

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. This has been a devastating experience, and we are committed to learning the lessons from it.Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments

A prohibition notice has been served on The Smiler by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors, stopping its use "until action is taken to deal with the cause of the failure".

Alton Towers will remain closed for a fourth day, on Saturday 6th June, but they hope to re-open in the next few days.

Dragon's Fury and Rattlesnake at Chessington World of Adventures are closed because the staff working on them require further training due to the new safety protocols, which have been introduced as an extra measure to reinforce their safe operation.

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