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Alton Towers rollercoaster Oblivion evacuated after it stopped at highest point | Alton Towers rollercoaster Oblivion evacuated after it stopped at highest point |
(35 minutes later) | |
Passengers have been escorted off the "Oblivion" roller coaster at the Alton Towers theme park after it stopped at its highest point — 180ft above the ground. | Passengers have been escorted off the "Oblivion" roller coaster at the Alton Towers theme park after it stopped at its highest point — 180ft above the ground. |
Rescue staff were seen scaling to the top of the ride and helping 16 passengers down. | |
The theme park said the rollercoaster stopped after a "minor technical fault" and that the safety of customers had not been compromised. | |
The owner of Alton Towers, Merlin Attractions, was fined a record £5m in September last year after a crash on the Smiler ride left five people with life-changing injuries and several others seriously hurt. | |
The theme park argued the crash was caused by human error, but prosecutors made the case that the company should have had better safety procedures in place. | |
The Smiler ride reopened in March 2016, after a number of changes were made including improved access and a policy of closing the ride when winds exceeded 34mph. | |
Following the evacuation of the Oblivion rollercoaster, a spokesperson for the theme park said: “This afternoon Oblivion stopped after a sensor on the ride detected a minor technical fault. | |
"The ride performed exactly as it is designed to do. In line with our well-rehearsed procedures, guests were assisted from the ride. At no point was guest safety compromised.” | "The ride performed exactly as it is designed to do. In line with our well-rehearsed procedures, guests were assisted from the ride. At no point was guest safety compromised.” |