Ruby Dench who tragically died while on a school trip in Scotland

THE heart broken family of an 11-year-old girl from Co Antrim are expecting to later on Thursday the cause of her death.

A pathologist will carry out a post mortem examination to discover why Ruby Dench fell ill and subsequently died.

The examination will try to find out if her death was caused by something ate, did she inhale gas fumes or was there an underlying health problem she was not aware of.

Ruby Dench, a pupil of Whiteabbey Primary School, was found unconscious in the early hours of Wednesday morning while on a trip to Scotland.

Emergency services were called to Loch Insh Outdoor Centre at Kincraig near Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands at about 2.30am, where the girl was found unconscious after feeling unwell.

Efforts were made to resuscitate the P7 pupil, but she was later pronounced dead at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.

Head teacher of Whiteabbey Primary, Peter Wright, said everyone connected with the school was devastated by what had happened.

It is understood that some other children had been feeling unwell and were examined by a doctor as a precaution.

None of them gave any cause for concern.

A total of 58 pupils and six adults made the journey to Scotland, where they had been since Monday.

They cut short the trip and returned home by boat on Wednesday evening.

All parents have been informed and reassured that there is no cause for wider concern.

Mr Wright had the unenviable task of breaking the devastating news of Ruby’s death to her heartbroken parents.

“Over the coming days and weeks, there will be support for children and indeed for staff,” Mr Wright added.

“She really did bring a brightness to every day in the school and clearly at this time our thoughts are with her parents, brother and wider family.”

A spokeswoman from Police Scotland said that the 11-year-old’s death was being treated as “unexplained” and that a post mortem will be carried out.