Drayton Manor ride fall death investigations continue

Evha Jannath fell out of a circular boat on the Splash Canyon attraction

Investigations are continuing into the death of a girl who fell from a rapids ride at Drayton Manor as similar attractions across England reopen.

Evha Jannath, 11, was on a school trip on Tuesday when she fell from a boat on the Splash Canyon ride.

The park has stayed closed for a third day as police and the Health and Safety Executive investigate.

Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor have reopened similar water-based white knuckle rides.

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Drayton Manor has not yet announced when the park, in Tamworth, Staffordshire, will reopen and Staffordshire Police could not confirm how long the force would remain at the scene.

Splash Canyon opened in 1993 and features up to 21 boats

Earlier, theme park operator Merlin Entertainments reopened the Congo River Rapids at Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor's Vikings River Splash, which had been closed as a precautionary measure following the schoolgirl's death.

The firm said Thorpe Park's Rumba Rapids was due to reopen on Friday afternoon.

The family said their "world was torn apart" following Evha's death.

Erfana Bora, the head teacher at Jameah Girls Academy the Islamic day school in Leicester that Evha attended, described the pupil as a "lovely, sweet-natured girl [who] was loved by everyone".

Staffordshire Police said Evha's post-mortem examination was expected to take place on Monday.

The Splash Canyon ride, which opened in 1993 and features up to 21 boats each with a capacity of six people, promises "a wild ride" with "fast-flowing rapids". Height restrictions are imposed and in some cases children are required to be accompanied by an adult.