4 injured in rollercoaster ride crash in Britain

Four people were seriously injured when two carriages on a rollercoaster ride collided at the Alton Towers theme park in Britain on Tuesday, a spokeswoman said.

There were 16 people on board one of the "The Smiler" ride carriages, while the other one was empty.

An air ambulance was called to the resort, located near the city of Nottingham in central England.

"The resort's fully qualified first responders were on the scene immediately to assist with the evacuation, which is ongoing," the spokeswoman said.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said that 16 people required medical attention, "four of which have reported serious injuries".

"Ambulance staff and medics are working quickly with resort staff to gain access to the seriously injured," she said, adding that emergency services were called at 2:09 pm (1309 GMT).

The Smiler opened in 2013 and is billed as the world's first 14-loop rollercoaster. The Alton Towers website said the ride is "not for the faint-hearted".