Alton Towers has described yesterday’s incident with The Smiler rollercoaster as a “small piece of debris” falling from the track.
The park’s spokeswoman Liz West said that no one was in danger of harm following the falling of a loose bolt on Sunday morning.
“Yesterday morning, in line with our standard procedures, Alton Towers Resort closed The Smiler to investigate a small piece of debris that had allegedly fallen from the track,” she said.
“At no time was any visitor at any risk, and 48 guests on the ride at the time were safely disembarked.
“As the health and safety of our guests is our primary concern, the ride will remain closed whilst the resort’s technical team investigate.”
Eyewitnesses reported that a “loud bang” was heard as the overhead grating – which covers the ride’s queue lines – was struck by the 30cm bolt.
The rollercoaster did not operate on Monday and is expected to remain closed for a considerable period while engineers conduct an investigation.