16-Year-Old Girl Killed, Best Friend Injured After Being Ejected from El Paso Carnival Ride: Report

Only one of three teenage girls emerged uninjured Friday night in El Paso, Texas, after the church carnival ride they were on ejected the other two, injuring one and killing the other, ABC News reports.

The third girl only avoided injury, her father said, because she held tight to the metal bars of the spinning ride (called the "Sizzler"), according to ABC.

One of her friends, 16, was slammed into a metal barricade at the ride and died, according to ABC, while the other friend, 15, was injured in the ejection but is expected to recover.

The three friends were the only ones on the Sizzler at the time of the ejection, during a Día del Niño Fiesta at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, according to ABC.

All three girls attended the same high school, according to ABC; and a school district representative identified the 16-year-old as Samantha Aguilar, according to KIVA.

An investigation continues into the cause of the incident, according to ABC: "There's inspections that are required," a police representative told the network. "Whether or not this vendor is up to par with that, it hasn't been determined."

On Saturday, the department tweeted that the investigation is ongoing, with "no additional information." (An El Paso police representative did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.)

Joe Edwards, who tells PEOPLE he owns the lot where the ride was located, but not the ride itself, denied speculation that the ride had faulty seat belts or lap bars. He says his company is "heartbroken" for the families of the dead and injured.

Aguilar's identity was confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE from St. Thomas' pastor, Father Ed Roden-Lucero, who said he was "shocked, saddened and broken-hearted" for Aguilar's family.

"Our Día del Niño Fiesta was meant to celebrate God's blessing of family life and the great gift of children. The loss of her life in this accident on our parish grounds is incomprehensible to my parishioners and me," Roden-Lucero said. "We pray that the Risen Lord give her eternal rest, and give consolation to her family and friends.

"We are all just profoundly sorry."

Roden-Lucero continued, "We also offer our prayers for the welfare of Samantha's best friend who was injured. We pray for her rapid recovery."

Roden-Lucero said that the Catholic Diocese of El Paso will offer counseling services – not just to the families of the dead and injured, but the church's staff and parishioners.

"We wish to be of service to the two families in [any] way we can," he said.