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File photo of passengers on Oblivion.
Oblivion

Alton Towers says rollercoaster did what it was supposed to after passengers evacuated 180 feet above the ground

A rollercoaster train was 180 feet in the air when it shut off.

ENGLISH THEME PARK Alton Towers says that its Oblivion rollercoaster acted as it should have when it stopped with passengers on it.

A rollercoaster train was 180 feet in the air when it shut off after detecting a “minor technical fault”, necessitating an evacuation.

Operations Director of the park Francis Jackson said that the ride acted exactly as it should have.

“Oblivion stopped after a sensor on the ride detected a minor technical fault.

“In order to restart the ride, we had to carry out a well-rehearsed assisted exit. At no point was guest safety compromised and it showed that our procedures worked exactly as they should.

“This is completely normal. Rides stop for a number of reasons at any given time across the world.

“Despite any media reports you might have seen, we would like to assure people this is completely routine.”

The park’s operator Merlin Entertainments was last year fined £5 million over a 2015 crash which led to two teenage girls requiring leg amputations.

The crash on The Smiler ride at the popular theme park saw five people seriously injured when one of the ride’s carriages crashed into the back of another carriage when it become stuck on the track.

Vicky Balch, then 19, and Leah Washington, then 17, each lost a leg in the crash.

Read: Passengers stuck for 30 minutes on Alton Towers rollercoaster which crashed last year

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