M&D's Rollercoaster Crash: Three Kids 'Serious'

Three children remain in a serious condition in hospital after a rollercoaster derailed injuring 10 people.

Eight children and two adults were hurt after the Tsunami ride crashed to the ground at M&D's amusement park at Strathclyde Country Park in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, on Sunday.

The injured were trapped upside down when the ride came off the rails at around 3.40pm, according to witnesses.

Four of the children are being treated at the Royal Hospital for Children.

Three of them are in a serious condition, and one is described as stable.

Five other patients were taken to Wishaw General Hospital.

Three children and one adult are in a stable condition, and another child has been discharged, a spokesman confirmed.

The other injured adult is in a stable condition at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Details of the injuries have not been released, but an unconfirmed report in the Scottish Sun newspaper said a girl aged 12 was in a coma after suffering what was believed to be serious head injuries.

The ride was full when the accident happened.

Witness James Millerick told Sky News: "You heard shrieks from other customers at the theme park.

"When we got there the rollercoaster had come off the track entirely. (It) was upside down on the concrete path."

Six ambulance crews, a specialist operation team and emergency doctors worked at the scene.

Chief Inspector David Bruce said: ''Along with other emergency services we attended immediately and on arrival it became clear that a series of five gondolas connected on a train on the Tsunami ride have detached from the rails, struck the superstructure and then struck the ground.

''We have launched an investigation and an inquiry between Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)."

He added: ''They (the gondolas) fell less than 20 feet. It would appear that they have been coming round a bend and at that point it has detached."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ''My thoughts are with everyone involved in this terrible incident at M&D's theme park, especially those injured.''

Douglas Taylor, director of M&D's, said: "Our thoughts are with the people who have been injured and their families. We hope everyone makes a full recovery.

"We're cooperating fully with the joint HSE (Health And Safety Executive) and Police Scotland investigation. It would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of the accident until the investigation is complete.

"Each and every ride within the theme park is safety checked on a daily basis and undergoes a thorough independent inspection every 12 months. Tsunami had its annual independent safety inspection in early June 2016.

"My brother Matthew and I have been in business together for 50 years and this is the first incident of this type that we've ever been involved in.

"We are devastated as both a family and a business, and our heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by the accident."

According to the M&D's website, the Tsunami rollercoaster can go at speeds of up to 40mph through corkscrew turns and loops.

Children under 10 are not allowed on the ride, and under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.

The Tsunami ride is described on the theme park's website as "Scotland's only inverted rollercoaster".

Nine people had to be rescued from the Tsunami rollercoaster in July 2011 after it suffered a mechanical failure.

And in March this year, eight people had to be rescued from the Tornado rollercoaster at M&D's when it became stuck 20ft off the ground.