Alton Towers rollercoaster evacuated as 'nearby locations emptied'

It is the second evacuation in just three days

A popular Alton Towers ride sparked chaos when it had to be evacuated. Smoke could be seen coming from the Wicker Man ride at the theme park this afternoon, Tuesday, September 24.

It was the second evacuation in just three days. Visitors were stopped from getting on the ride, with the queue evacuated.

Footage captured the ride as it appeared to bellow a loud alarm. One person wrote on social media: "Wicker Man at Alton Towers being evacuated due to a fire alarm."

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Another shared a video of the scene and said: "You can’t make this up, the fire alarm has triggered again." One rider replied and asked: "Is that why it is paused? I was literally about to get on."

A similar incident earlier this year triggered the alarm on July 26, Mirror reports. An Alton Towers spokesman said at the time: "Operations on Wicker Man were paused after reports of smoke in the ride area.

"Our technical team swiftly attended to the smoke and followed well-rehearsed procedures to quickly resolve the issue." Wicker Man, which travels up to the speed of 44 mph, is the UK’s first wooden coaster built in more than two decades.

On its website, Alton Towers says: "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."

The ride has a number of special effects including appearing as if riders are speeding through smoke and fire. It is situated near Mutiny Bay within the park.

A spokesperson for Alton Towers has since confirmed there is 'no fire' at the resort today. They said a smoke detector was activated inside a retail shop next to Wicker Man.

Nearby locations were 'temporarily emptied whilst the cause of the alarm was investigated' as a precaution. Alton Towers clarified that smoke seen in any social media video is actually a special effect which creates 'the illusion of smoke.'

The shop and ride have since re-opened as normal.