File photo of roller coaster Saw, which has been closed since the crash on Tuesday. Photo:Thorpe Park/PA WireFile photo of roller coaster Saw, which has been closed since the crash on Tuesday. Photo:Thorpe Park/PA Wire

Alton Towers is to reopen “within the next few days” but the ride involved in the crash in which 16 people were injured will remain shut for the foreseeable future, the company which runs the park has announced.

Four people were seriously hurt in Tuesday’s accident involving the Smiler ride and the Staffordshire tourist attraction has been closed since then, racking up losses of around £500,000 a day for owner Merlin Entertainment.

The company said today that new “safety protocols” were being issued.

The company said: “The safety of our visitors is our fundamental priority. We have a strong safety record at Alton Towers and across the Merlin Group.

“Today we are enhancing our safety standards by issuing an additional set of safety protocols and procedures that will reinforce the safe operation of our multi-car roller coasters. These are effective immediately.

“Each roller coaster has its own individual operating process and characteristics. Our central safety management team, together with local park operations, will now work to implement and brief operating staff on these protocols.

“As a consequence, two roller coaster rides have been withdrawn from service until the new safety protocols have been applied.

“The Smiler and Saw, a similar ride at Thorpe Park, have been closed since the accident and will stay closed for the foreseeable future.

“We intend to complete our thorough appraisal of our safety processes at Alton Towers in the near future and plan to reopen the park to the public in the next few days.”

Chief executive Nick Varney said: “This has been a terrible experience for everyone involved and one we sincerely regret.

“Our thoughts remain with those who were seriously injured and we are doing everything we can to support them through this difficult time.

“It is an accident that should not have happened, and we are determined that it will never happen again.”

The company confirmed yesterday that there was an 11-minute gap between the incident and the time it took to phone 999, having previously said emergency services were “called immediately”.

The four people who suffered critical injuries were airlifted to major trauma centres after the 16 occupants were rescued from 7.6m in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees.

Some of the occupants suffered an ordeal which lasted more than four hours, with the evacuation not complete until 6.35pm.

Since opening two years ago, the £18 million roller coaster, which boasts a world-record 14 loops, has been closed twice because of safety concerns.

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