At Bangkok Pattaya Hospital in Thailand, Dr Ian Corness said he had "the onerous task" of breaking the news to 23-year-old Helen Taylor that her sister Andrea was dead.

"When people are told of news like this it obviously produces great grief. But Helen took the news very calmly and with great personal fortitude," said Dr Corness.

Trainee nurse Andrea Taylor, 20, from Billinge near Wigan, Greater Manchester, was attacked during a show at the private-run Suan Nong Nuch park in Pattaya, south-east of Bangkok.

Her sister Helen suffered serious internal injuries and her father, Geoffrey, 53, was also hurt as they tried to rescue her.

Dr Corness said Helen Taylor had had an ovary removed and Mr Taylor was treated for a soft tissue injury and minor fibula fracture.

Their conditions are said to be stable, but Miss Taylor remains intensive care.

Mr Taylor, a retired glass worker, described to newspapers how the family were holding bananas out to the performing elephant when it turned on its handler and then charged into the audience.

He told the Sun newspaper how he and his daughter Andrea were crushed under the animal while it continued to gore them with its tusks.

His daughter Andrea suffered a large wound in her abdomen.

She was said to be still alive during the 20 minute journey to the hospital, but died on the operating table.

The horrific incident was captured on home video by horrified fellow tourists.

It showed the elephant going berserk during a regular show.

The family holiday is the first they had taken since the girls' mother died four years ago.

Helen's housemate in St Helens, Michelle Barrow, 26, said the sisters had become very close, since their mother's death.

Enraged elephant

"Andrea was looking forward to going on holiday the most. She had never been to Thailand before."

Andrea, who was training to be a nurse in Huddersfield, was preparing to take her exams and her ambition was to work as a nurse in Canada.

In the attack, the elephant grabbed a mahout, or handler, from the back of another beast using his trunk and threw him to the ground.