M&D's rollercoaster crash: Two boys remain in serious condition

Three boys remain in hospital - two of them in a serious condition - following a rollercoaster crash at a theme park in North Lanarkshire at the weekend.

Seven children and two 19-year-olds were injured when the Tsunami ride derailed at M&D's in Strathclyde Park, near Motherwell, at 15:37 on Sunday.

Most have since been discharged with only three boys being treated at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

M&D's remains closed while an investigation into the crash continues.

The two boys who remain in a serious condition are a 12-year-old with chest, abdominal and leg injuries and an 11-year-old who suffered serious arm and hand injuries.

Another boy, aged 11, is in a stable condition.

Nine passengers were on board the Tsunami inverted rollercoaster when five gondolas detached from their rails at a bend and fell to the ground.

A total of 10 people were taken to hospitals in Glasgow and Wishaw in the aftermath of the crash, although a 25-year-old woman was found not to be injured and released following an assessment.

Six of the other casualties, including a man and woman, both aged 19, have since been discharged Wishaw General Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the city's Royal Hospital for Children.

Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the crash, or has images and videos of the incident, to contact them at the dedicated email address: [e-mail]

The park's director, Douglas Taylor, said on Monday that every ride was "safety checked on a daily basis" and underwent "a thorough independent inspection every 12 months".

The incident was not the first safety issue to have affected rides at M&D's.

In March, eight people had to be rescued by firefighters when the park's Tornado rollercoaster ground to a halt 20 ft (6m) in the air.

In July 2011, nine people were rescued from the park's Tsunami rollercoaster after being trapped for up to eight hours. The malfunction was blamed on a broken lift chain.

In 2006, firefighters freed 18 people who were trapped upside down on a fairground ride at M&D's.