rollercoaster crash at alton towers

[SoljaBonita]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32980354?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=icf

[AyeAmarok]

That's what makes me think that one of the safety mechanisms must have failed, it just shouldn't be able to happen.

[CattyCatCat]

Alton Towers have said that the accident should not have been able to have happened. Who knows whether that means that ride software failed, ride hardware failed, there was human error or a combination of some or all three of those. I guess it might take a fair while to get to the crux of the sequence of events and exactly why the crash occurred. HSE are involved and will be going over it all with a fine tooth comb.

I saw on Sky news earliers that the seriously injured 18 and 17 year old couple had only been together for a week and it was their first date, yesterday. So, so unlucky.

[AyeAmarok]

It could be the Swiss Cheese theory - a few minor faults/issues have happened at the same time, and while each happening on their own wouldn't cause it, them all happening at once, the holes align and an error slips through and has disastrous consequences.

The results will be made public eventually, they have to be.

[pettywitchinlondon]

Surely they have multiple carts running on the thing? Does sound like some error that sections should be locked down if it isn't clear and that didn't happen.

Can't see how it would be the fault of the people pushing the go button on the ground

[CattyCatCat]

Whilst it is obviously none of our business, I can't help wanting to know how the four injured people are. I read that one of the four has now been discharged from hospital and that is fantastic news. The speculative reports of leg loss are obviously not true in that case. You just want it to be not true for the other three riders too .

[AnyoneForTennis]

The video of the crash is horrific.... I'm very surprised that it's viewable

[CattyCatCat]

I saw the aftermath video that Sky news are showing with the two carriages rocking back and forth, that looked absolutely terrible. I really could not stand to view a video actually showing the crash itself happening.

[pettywitchinlondon]

There's a video of the crash?!

Report it if its on YouTube asap!

[PHANTOMnamechanger]

very shocking incident. my heart goes out to all concerned and yes to the emergency services who had a very tough day.

and as for all the very bad taste "accident claims" adverts that have been doing the rounds, just disgraceful.

[Hulababy]

They have more than one carriage on the ride at a time but afaik there shouldn't be more than one carriage in various sections of the ride. Mechanisms are supposed to be on place to prevent that but obviously something has gone wrong

[AnyoneForTennis]

No it's the aftermath video on sky.... Screaming and shouting for help. Just awful

[pettywitchinlondon]

Uck, live news is just awful.

I had that Russian school siege happening live when I was at work, was horrifc seeing that live and at the same time it was just behind my monitor so couldn't help viewing it. Never forgiven the BBC for showing such awful things live. No need.

[tobysmum77]

catty I'm the same. I thought also that the person discharged was one of the 12 not the 4 . I hope you're right.

[pettywitchinlondon]

Its looking like they will blame the low paid person on the front line,even though the safety system should of not allowed this to happen. Hope this doesn't happen. It was designed by a British guy.

Its not looking good for the Alton towers 4, all said to have life changing stuff. Hope these reports are not true.

[EmeraldThief]

Maybe I'm just getting older, but the people who operate the rides at Alton Towers don't even look old enough to vote half of the time. It's a lot of responsibility to put on kids.

[pettywitchinlondon]

The people on the ground floor usually just have a go button, there are people in the control room that have the real power.

[AyeAmarok]

Reports emerging that AT called senior management to tell them about the crash 5 minutes BEFORE calling 999 for ambulances, and the fire brigade were only called when the ambulance arrived and called them (ambulances took 30 minutes to get to the park after they were called due to distance and traffic).

[yellowdaisies]

I've just read the bit in the news about how long it took them to call 999. About 15 minutes whilst they called their internal response team first, them management. Very worrying as it suggests a culture of trying to cover up problems and not involve any outside agencies unless absolutely necessary. Eye witness reports suggest it must have been obvious within minutes that they would need ambulances.

[CattyCatCat]

Agree that a 10 min delay to an ambulance being called is very questionable. They might well have been following internal procedures getting Park first aiders there to assess but for goodness sake, people were very seriously injured. Members of the public said that was immediately apparent. sone riders were limp and knocked out. I bet the public bystanders and witnesses feel awful knowing now, in hindsight, that no fucker had called an ambulance and the fire brigade whilst they were all stood there with mobile phones (and some bloody videoing and taking grim pictures). It almost beggars belief. The public thought that AT woud immediately make the call but they didn't. It just goes to show, if you see a serious accident don't trust anyone to react quickly, do it yourself.

[CattyCatCat]

In fact, one poor lad was out cold with blood all over his face. What the hell? How on earth did it take ten minutes to call an ambulance. Anyone with eyes would class that as ambulance worthy.

[Moln]

Ah no. I was hoping it was hearsay when I read AyeAmarok's post.

Also no one calling them on their phones and choosing to photograph/record instead!!

I think I would be humming and harring about calling es too as you'd think AT would call but I think ultimately think that services wouldn't get annoyed by multiple calls so would call 999 anyway

[CattyCatCat]

Sky news say it took until 11 minutes after the crash before AT called for an ambulance (though their own first aiders were there quicker than that).

[404UsernameNotFound]

11 minutes would be pretty standard. I know a paramedic in the park (she no longer works there) and procedure would be a call to the ride to assess. The severity of the accident may not have been apparent to ride staff, especially with the position and height of the ride. Remember, those taking photos are at a different vantage point to staff.

AT is in a reasonably remote village some distance from the main hospital. Calling emergency services immediately before assessment isn't usually done because more often than not you've got a kid with a nosebleed or someone who's just been sick and fetching an ambulance miles off the beaten track for that would be overkill.
The Ride Operators are not much older than kids and would follow protocol - call the Park First Responders. Their base is by the entrance so they would need to get across the park, into the belly of the ride to the casualties and make an initial assessment, which would have been to immediately call for emergency assistance. 11 minutes isn't bad at all.

[Moln]

You're more than likely right 404. Though I can imagine the time waiting up there was an eternity

[AnyoneForTennis]

Anymore news about the other 2 badly injured people? Not seen any news today yet