Yahoo News Alton Towers rollercoaster mayhem after 'second evacuation' in 3 days
Alton Towers thrill-seekers have been forced to evacuate amid reports of a fire on one of its most popular rollercoasters. Photos from the scene appear to show smoke coming from The Wicker Man ride at the theme park this afternoon (September 24).
The incident comes, just days after a similar issue occurred on Saturday. One visitor said: "You can’t make this up, the fire alarm has triggered again!" Another person commented on social media: "Wicker Man at Alton Towers being evacuated due to a fire alarm."
The two failures in recent days come after there was also a similar issue back in July. After the failure on Saturday, an eyewitness told Express.co.uk: "No one [was] allowed near it… entire paths cleared, no one was allowed to get their bags." They added that staff were telling visitors: "This has never happened before."
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Some had been queueing for hours when the evacuation was ordered, angering many, The Express reports.
Wicker Man, which travels up to the speed of 44 mph, is the UK’s first new wooden coaster built in more than two decades. On the official website, facts about the ride states: "Wicker Man was constructed on the site of a previous attraction called 'The Flume'. The ride features a soundtrack created by the same company responsible for the catchy theme tune of The Smiler.
"A secret language of runes was specifically created for Wicker Man. See if you can decode the Beornen's messages as you make your way through the queue."
Alton Towers has now confirmed that no fire occurred and footage from the scene shows special effects. It added that the alarm went off in a shop next the the ride and a system reset was carried out.
An Alton Towers spokesman said: "As part of standard processes (and like any fire alarm process worldwide) nearby locations within the vicinity were temporarily emptied as a precautionary measure whilst the cause of the alarm investigated. This included the queue line, which had a queue time of less than five minutes.
"The smoke/fog in the video on social media are of the me-fog effect used on the ride to create the illusion of smoke. It is standard theming and in no way related to the smoke alarm in the retail unit. The shop, ride and all areas are all re-open as normal."
