At least 88 are confirmed dead and more than 120 injured after several explosions struck the Egyptian tourist resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh late last night.
It is not thought that there were any Irish tourists hurt but police said they do not yet have a complete breakdown of the nationalities of the dead and wounded.
However, along with Egyptians, the dead or wounded included 13 Italians, five Britons, French, Spaniards, Dutch, Saudis, Qataris, Kuwaitis and other nationalities, police sources said. Al Jazeera television quoted Interior Minister Habib el-Adli as saying there were eight foreigners among the dead.
As many as seven explosions, including at least four car bombs, struck the Red Sea resort at around 1am local time (10pm Irish time).
One went off in the driveway of the Ghazala Garden hotel, a 176-room four-star resort on the main strip of hotels in Naama Bay. People were feared trapped in the rubble of the lobby.
Another exploded in the Old Market, a few miles away, killing 17 people - believed to be Egyptians - sitting at a nearby outdoor coffee shop. Three minibuses were set ablaze, though it was not clear if they were carrying passengers, the official said.
Although many tourists could have been asleep when the explosions struck, local residents would have been awake and out in the bazaar to enjoy of the evening.
The regional governor said two car bombs and possibly a suitcase bomb had rocked the resort, popular with divers and European holidaymakers.
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak visited the scene today and vowed to hunt down the terrorists.
"This cowardly, criminal act is aimed at undermining Egypt's security and stability and harming its people and its guests," President Mubarak said during a live national broadcast. "This will only increase our determination in chasing terrorism."
Rescue workers gave up the search for more dead or survivors at the hotel, where a car bomb blast flattened the reception area. A few body parts were still being found, but emergency personnel said they did not expect major increases in the death toll.
Egyptian police detained at least 20 people, including local Bedouin tribesmen, for questioning, but they were not currently suspected of involvement in the blasts, security officials said on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The men were detained near the scenes of the bombings.
Pope Benedict XVI was among world political and religious leaders deploring the attacks, calling them "senseless acts." He appealed to terrorists to renounce violence. Agencies