Four people have been taken to hospital and a number of others treated for cuts and bruises after an accident today (20 July) on a ride at Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire.

At 11am, the front carriages of the Runaway Mine Train rollercoaster, which had a full load of 46 passengers, became detached and rolled back into the rest of the ride.

The ride was stopped and evacuated immediately and the park’s ‘First Responders’ team treated the people with minor injuries – reportedly 26 of them – on site.

Four guests were taken to North Staffordshire Hospital by ambulance and two others have since visited A & E. According to a spokesperson for Alton Towers, four have already been discharged and the other two will hopefully be discharged shortly.

The BBC reported that the four taken to hospital were suffering “possible whiplash, spinal or abdominal injuries of the sort seen in car crashes”.

The spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our guests is our primary objective. The ride has been closed and will remain so while a thorough investigation is carried out by the park’s management team together with the Health & Safety Executive.”

The rest of the park remains open as usual. Details: www.altontowers.com