not known to the three

In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, the park said it would host a "Memorial Day" on Friday, with doors opening at 11:00 (01:00 GMT).

It said: "We hope this will be considered the start of the healing process for all concerned.

"From the Memorial Day, activities will be limited to smaller rides, animal attractions, and the water park."

All entry proceeds will go to the Red Cross, which has been helping the affected families.

The owner of the park, Ardent Leisure Group, also revealed that the ride in question had completed its annual safety inspection, carried out by a "specialist external engineering firm", on 29 September.

media caption Eyewitness: 'There were children on the ride screaming'

The victims have been named as Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett,35, Mr Dorsett's partner, Roozbeh Araghi, 38, and Cindy Low, a 42-year-old New Zealand citizen who lived in Sydney.

A 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, who media say were related to the victims, were also on the raft. They were thrown free and survived.

Queensland assistant police commissioner Brian Codd said it was "almost a miracle that anybody came out of that", adding: "If we're going to be thankful for anything, I'm thankful for that."

Visitors have been laying floral tributes to the victims at the gates of the park, some 50km (30 miles) south of Brisbane.

Kim Dorsett, the mother of Kate Goodchild and Luke Dorsett, told the Courier-Mail newspaper : "I have three children and have lost two of them today - my whole family has been wiped out."

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