Drayton Manor to be prosecuted over Evha Jannath's death Published duration 17 October 2019

image copyright Family handout image caption Evha Jannath fell out of a circular boat on the Splash Canyon attraction

The operator of a theme park where an 11-year-old girl died after falling from a water ride is to be prosecuted under health and safety laws.

Evha Jannath, from Leicester, was on a school trip in 2017 when she fell from Splash Canyon at Drayton Manor.

Staffordshire-based Drayton Manor Park Ltd will face a charge under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

An inquest will take place before the criminal proceedings begin, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

The ride has remained closed at the theme park in Tamworth since the schoolgirl's death.

Evha was one of a party of children on a school trip to the park from Jameah Girls Academy on 9 May 2017.

She suffered chest injuries and died at Birmingham Children's Hospital after being rescued from the water by theme park staff.

image copyright ThemeParks.ie image caption The Splash Canyon ride has remained closed since the death

In a statement, the HSE said: "The criminal proceedings have not yet commenced, because an inquest into Evha's death, due to be heard in November, needs to take place first."

A spokesperson for Drayton Manor Park said: "It would not be appropriate for us to comment until the inquest concludes."