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| 'Human error' caused Alton Towers crash | 'Human error' caused Alton Towers crash |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Human error caused the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash in June that seriously injured five people, the Staffordshire theme park said. | Human error caused the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash in June that seriously injured five people, the Staffordshire theme park said. |
| Two women needed leg amputations after the Smiler ride crashed into an empty carriage in front of it on 2 June. | Two women needed leg amputations after the Smiler ride crashed into an empty carriage in front of it on 2 June. |
| The safety control system was manually overridden without the proper protocols being followed, an investigation concluded. | The safety control system was manually overridden without the proper protocols being followed, an investigation concluded. |
| No technical or mechanical issues were found with the ride itself. | No technical or mechanical issues were found with the ride itself. |
| The ride, which has been closed since, will reopen next year. | |
| For updates on this and more stories from Stoke and Staffordshire | |
| "A ride shutdown message was misunderstood by staff at the ride," an Alton Towers spokeswoman said. | |
| "This led to a decision to manually restart the ride, overriding the control system without appropriate safety protocols being followed correctly." | |
| A total of 16 people were injured when the carriage they were in collided with an empty one that had come to a halt ahead of them. | |
| Four people sat in the front row were among those most seriously hurt. | |
| Victoria Balch, 20, from Lancashire, who was sat alongside Leah Washington, Joe Pugh and Daniel Thorpe, had six rounds of surgery in a bid to save her leg before needing an amputation. | |
| Ms Washington, 17, from Barnsley, also had one of her legs amputated and her 18-year-old boyfriend Joe Pugh shattered his knees. | |
| Mr Thorpe, 27, was treated for a collapsed lung and lower leg injuries. In addition, Chanda Chauhan, 49, from Wednesbury, had surgery after suffering internal injuries. | |
| Merlin Entertainment, which owns Alton Towers, previously said they would all receive compensation. |