Four people were left seriously injured after the Staffordshire resort's 50mph Smiler ride crashed yesterday afternoon
The accident happened at around 2pm yesterday on the Staffordshire resort's 50mph Smiler ride when two carriages crashed on a low section of the track, leaving some passengers trapped for four-and-a-half hours.
Two men aged 27 and 18 and two women aged 19 and 17 suffered serious leg injuries in the crash. The other 12 occupants - six men and six women - required medical treatment, including a man in his 20s who suffered neck and abdominal injuries.
Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, which runs the park, said last night: "This has been a terrible incident and a devastating day for everyone here.
"I would like to express my sincerest regret and apology to everyone who suffered injury and distress and to their families.
"The safety of our visitors is our primary concern. The park will remain closed until we understand better the cause of this dreadful incident.
"A full investigation is now under way and we will continue to work closely with the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive."
It emerged last night that two young couples were stranded for two hours with horrific leg injuries after two roller coaster cars crashed into each other at Alton Towers.
Their screams stunned crowds 25ft below their jinxed ride as emergency services battled to free them.
Musician Danny Simm, tweeted: “People unconscious, knocked out. Blood everywhere. It really was shocking.”
It took more than five hours to rescue the other 12 riders trapped.
The two injured couples were on days out separately from each other.
Ambulance chiefs described the others on the ride as “walking wounded”.
Today’s 50mph horror, Alton Towers worst accident, is just the latest problem to hit the £18million Smiler - the world’s first 14 loop roller coaster.
The victims, two teenage girls, aged 17 and 18, a man aged 19 and a man aged 27 were eventually freed after a platform was built to reach them.
They were among 16 people on the ride when their car slammed into an empty carriage in an apparent mix-up.
The couples were left stranded on the in front of hysterical parkgoers - including parents of some of those on the ride.