AN inquest into the death of a 12-year-old schoolgirl who drowned in the River Irwell last year is set to continue today.

Shukri Yayhe-Abde’s body was pulled from the waterway, near Dunster Street in Bury, shortly before midnight on June 27, 2019 – five weeks before her 13th birthday.

Yesterday a hearing at Manchester Coroner’s Court was adjourned following legal arguments among representatives of the interested parties.

Earlier in the inquest the court heard that Shukri had gone down to the river with four other children ­— known as childs one, two, three and four for legal reasons.

Once at the waterway Shukri and child one entered the river to play before the 12-year-old began to get into difficulties and disappeared under the water.

Rescue efforts were waged by the children, anglers using the river and the emergency services but Shukri was not recovered alive.

Home office pathologist Prof Phillip Lumb, also confirmed to the court that Shukri’s cause of death had been drowning.