Alton Towers: 80 stuck as monorail breaks down
1 July 2015
From the section Stoke & Staffordshire
Sarah Chapman photographed the stranded Air ride
Eighty people were stuck for an hour at Alton Towers after two monorail trains broke down on the hottest day of the year.
The park’s Air rollercoaster was also temporarily stopped on Wednesday afternoon, with some people stranded in mid-air for 20 minutes.
Two monorail trains stopped at 17:25 BST, leaving people trapped inside.
Last month, 16 people were hurt when the Smiler rollercoaster crashed into an empty carriage at the theme park.
A spokesman said delays were “within expected levels” and the monorail would re-open on Thursday.
It took an hour to walk 80 people off the monorail using the evacuation walkways, the park said.
“The train drivers kept guests informed via the on board PA system and refreshments were provided,” an Alton Towers spokesman said.
Guests stuck on the Air ride were cleared “within standard operating procedures”, according to park bosses. No injuries have been reported.
People waiting to go on the ride took to Twitter to say people had been left “stranded” on the Air rollercoaster.
The park had previously said it would introduce stricter safety procedures in the wake of the Smiler crash.
Two women, 20-year-old Vicky Balch and 17-year-old Leah Washington, underwent leg amputations following the crash on 2 June.
On Wednesday Ms Balch, from Lancashire, tweeted a photo of her meeting with Maj Kate Philp, who lost her left leg after a bomb blast.
She wrote: “Today I was inspired by a very amazing woman Major Kate Philp and I hope one day I can do the same for somebody else.”
Maj Philp, from Knightwick in Worcestershire, lost her left leg after a bomb blast.
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Source:: BBC world news feed
