Three generations of a Dublin family were involved in a crash in Co Limerick yesterday, in which a 4½-year-old girl was killed.
A great grandmother, grandmother and twin granddaughters, one of whom was killed, were travelling home from holidays in Kerry when they were involved in a four-vehicle pile-up on the outskirts of Adare.
The accident, involving a truck and three cars, also believed to be carrying family members, took place at 12.45 p.m. at the Ballingarry junction on the main Killarney to Limerick road.
All the vehicles were travelling in the same direction.
The dead girl and the nine injured were ferried to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in five ambulances. The great grandmother and grandmother were described as being in a stable condition. A twin-sister, who suffered minor injuries, was awaiting discharge along with the truck driver and the remaining people involved in the accident.
The parents of the dead girl were on their way to Limerick yesterday to comfort the family.
Four units of Rathkeale and Newcastle West fire brigade rushed to the scene. Special cutting equipment had to be used to extricate the dead and injured from the vehicles which blocked the road. There was a two-mile traffic tailback.
Mr Frank Dennison, acting chief fire officer for Limerick county, described the scene as "horrific, with wreckage scattered over a wide area".
The names of the dead and injured were not being released until relatives had been informed.
This was the third fatal accident in Limerick in the last five days.
Sister Joan Bowles (59) of the Mercy Order, who was Director of the Limerick Youth Service, was killed when her car was in collision with a train at an unmanned level crossing between Killonan and Dromkeen on Thursday evening .
On Friday night Mr John Hughes (20) was killed when his car hit a wall at Ballygrennan, between Bruff and Kilmallock.