Children in Serious Condition after Roller Coaster Crash
Posted on June 30, 2016
The Health and Safety Executive have opened a investigation with the police, following a roller coaster crash at M&D’s theme park near Motherwell on Sunday, which left nine people injured. Among the injured are two young boys who remain in a serious condition. A 12 year old has chest, abdominal and leg injuries, and an 11 year old has suffered serious arm and hand injuries, according to a BBC report. Local police have stated that four other boys, a 14 year old girl and an adult male are in a stable condition in hospital.
The crash was apparently caused by five gondolas from the “Tsunami” inverted roller coaster detaching from their rails on a high speed corner and falling to the ground. HSE inspector Barry Baker said investigations into the cause of the crash had already begun, “Our thoughts are with the children and adults who have been injured in this incident and I must give praise to the emergency services and members of the public who came to their aid so quickly yesterday. We have brought HSE specialists in mechanical engineering to the site this morning, to begin the process of finding out what caused the gondolas to come off the rails. HSE will work very closely with colleagues in the police as the investigation unfolds.”
Detective Inspector John Malcolm said police need to speak to anyone who had witnessed the crash, “This is a really serious incident that has affected many people visiting the theme park and our thoughts go out to those who have been injured. We have now launched a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and our priority is to find out the cause of the incident. I would ask that anyone who witnessed the incident or indeed, anyone who may have video footage or photographs to get in touch with the dedicated inquiry team.”
Park director Douglas Taylor had the following to say, “Each and every ride within the theme park is safety checked on a daily basis and undergoes a thorough independent inspection every 12 months. My brother Matthew and I have been in business together for 50 years and this is the first incident of this type that we have ever been involved in. We are devastated as both a family and a business, and our heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this accident.”
Mr Taylor then went on to say, “We are cooperating fully with the joint HSE and Police Scotland investigation. It would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of the accident until the investigation is complete.”
According to further BBC reports, the park has faced problems with its rides in the past including previous problems with the Tsunami. In 2011, nine people needed to be rescued from the roller coaster after a lift chain malfunctioned, causing thrill seekers to be trapped for around 8 hours.