http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/jun/02/alton-towers-rollercoaster-accident-four-seriously-hurt-as-carriages-collide

Wow... how could something like this even happen with the controls / blocking systems?

Just glad nobody died, even if there are some serious injuries. Hopefully everyone recovers quickly.

That sounds terrifying! I hope everyone who got hurt ends up okay.

 

Why would they continue to operate it with guests on board knowing there were problems? What's the harm in shutting it down for a bit and testing/inspecting to make SURE it's safe?

Yikes.

https://twitter.com/aaron_kelsey/status/605757492384120832

Wow, hope everything turns out to be alright for all involved.

Oh wow. That ride looks incredible too, hell the whole park does. I can't believe something like this happened. Hopefully this isn't going to result in loss of life or limb. In going to actively watch for updates on this one. Quite concerning

 

heres some footage 

I don't understand how this happened... The blocking system should not have allowed a train to enter the block section if there was another train in it... Is there some kind of maintenance override that may have been left enabled?

 

Prayers to everyone involved. The reports are making this look like a pretty nasty situation.

Wow...now this is MUCH worse than being stuck on a lift hill for an hour. I'm honestly dumbfounded this even happened. I really hope everyone is OK. I hate seeing people who are just going to have fun at an amusement park end up in a bad situation like this. 

Press release ongoing. Updates soon

I really hate seeing items like this, and I hope that everyone involved is OK.

 

On a sidenote - those enthusiasts who question why parks continue to buy B&M coasters now have one of their answers.

Like many in the Youtube comments section, I don't really understand what's happening in the video.

 

Also, in videos and photos it looks as though the first couple rows of the train are empty but the rest of the rows have people in them.

That's two different trains, one full and one empty. The full one smashed into the empty one and yes people were in that first row. What you're seeing in the video is right after the smash happened with people screaming and the two trains sitting against each other rocking back and forth.

Gerstlauer has only had one other issue involving Texas Giant, which wasn't an issue with the trains they provided, that was an operational issue as known. I don't see or know of any other issues involving this manufacturer, I'll dig later.

 

Smiler has small trains, you're seeing two of the trains pressed together, there's four cars (or rows) per train

There are two trains in the accident.  Each has four rows.  The front train was sent empty and seems to have stalled out.  The back train was loaded with guests.  It was somehow able to enter the block of the first train.

 

How that happened is anybody's guess.

totally horrifying!!!

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3107569/Two-carriages-Alton-Towers-Smiler-rollercoaster-collide-16-people-board.html

I don't see or know of any other issues involving this manufacturer, I'll dig later.

 

I don't know about other Gerstlauer coasters, but I know Smiler itself has had some issues in the past. 

Didn't hear the screaming because I'm at work with the sound off.

 

Those poor kids...

Previous incidents:

 

Ride malfunction on lifthill prompted shutdown

Train Valley x 2

Bolt holding track segments came undone, creating gap in the track

Crack in support

Chain Guide Wheels detached, struck riders

Current Incident.

 

I cannot fault the first issue, a ride shutdown is a ride shutdown. They're unfortunate but they do happen. If the ride feels that everything isn't 100% ok it's not going to send the train. The valleying issue is also unfortunate, stuff happens. Many coasters are prone to this, that's not a safety fault. One valley was even caused by the safety system being triggered. I can't fault overprotection. The bolt issue was an issue for sure, how that happened I'd still like to know. That's honestly a first for me regarding a steel coaster. Having a crack in a support, they found it and fixed it, these things happen, and more than you think. Supports are replaced and fixed on coasters all the time. That's what Non Destructive Testing is for. The chain guide wheels issue I have no clue about, I need to research into that one. Current issue still pending

Live Updates:

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11646279/Alton-Towers-Smiler-ride-crash.html

 

Significant, but not life threatening injuries now being reported. Park open tomorrow except this area, as it is currently closed. Full investigation pending, 16 people on the train, 8 with injuries (four men & women)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3107569/Two-carriages-Alton-Towers-Smiler-rollercoaster-collide-16-people-board.html

Very bad situation.  Hope all involved recover quickly.  Watch the POV of this ride, this coaster has speed until the brake run, which means those carriages hit really hard.  Scary situation indeed.

Early speculation about accident causation is frequently inaccurate.

Accidents like this one frequently cause systemic change in the industry.

Something clearly went very wrong here.

Man, this is one of my favorite parks overseas. Hope everyone fully recovers, and they figure out just what went wrong so it never happens again.

That is terrible.  Hope and praying for everyone involved for healing. 

Early speculation about accident causation is frequently inaccurate.

Accidents like this one frequently cause systemic change in the industry.

Something clearly went very wrong here.

The sad thing is that people will say that such and such things things that went wrong, when the only ones who have the real answers are the park, and the people investigating the accident. I have seen that very thing on a parks Facebook page.

The Frowner man. Not joking. **** sucks.

Alton Towers announced on their Twitter page that they are going to be closed tomorrow.

Somehow...I don't think this coaster is going to cost the Towers a measly 18 million anymore...

That is very, very interesting.

I wonder by whose choice...