An Alton Towers rollercoaster crash victim Leah Washington has had her left leg amputated above the knee, it has been confirmed.

17-year-old Leah Washington, who was on The Smiler with her boyfriend Joe Pugh, 18, also suffered a fractured left hand.

Joe suffered two broken knees and extensive hand injuries in the accident.

In a statement, Leah's father David said: "Leah has suffered a life-changing injury and now has many months of rehabilitation ahead of her.

"We have done this to put people's minds at rest and we would also ask everyone to respect Leah's privacy as she undergoes this rehabilitation.

"We would like to thank all the emergency services at the scene and all the hospital staff who saved Leah's life."

Joe's father Simon said: "I would like to thank our friends and family for their support.

"We would also like to thank the staff at the hospital who have been very accommodating, have been lovely to us and have protected our privacy.

"We would ask people to respect Joe's privacy now and over the weeks and months ahead."

Alton Towers has reopened to the public today – six days after the rollercoaster crash that seriously injured four people.

The Staffordshire amusement park had been closed while investigators determine how a carriage on The Smiler was able to crash into the back of another carriage on the same section of track.

It is estimated that Merlin Entertainments, the company which owns Alton Towers, may have lost more than €4m in revenue during the closure, or £500,000 (€683,000) a day.

The area where The Smiler is located – known as the X-Sector – will be cordoned off until the Health and Safety Executive has concluded their investigation.

Another Alton Towers rollercoaster, The Spinball, will be closed until further notice while enhanced safety measures are put into place. A spokesman said this was taking longer than usual because of how the ride is designed.

Other rides at Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures also remain out of service, but are expected to reopen soon.

Nick Varney, the chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said of the reopening: "We are very aware of the impact it will have on those involved and we are doing all we can to provide our support to those injured and their families."

On Saturday, one of the four badly hurt in the crash, Victoria Balch - who turned 20 over the weekend - had surgery for "significant lower limb injuries".

Daniel Thorpe, a hotel assistant manager from Derbyshire, suffered a collapsed lung and a fractured leg in the accident, according to his father.

The Health and Safety Executive has removed the carriages involved in The Smiler crash for further examination at a laboratory in Buxton.

A prohibition notice was placed on the rollercoaster by officials, forbidding it to return into operation until action has been taken to address the cause of the collision.

However, a spokesman for the UK's HSE stressed this notice was specifically for The Smiler, and other rides were able to operate as normal.

This week, the lawyers of some of those badly injured in the crash are expected to make a "substantial claim for damages" on their behalf.