IRELAND: Two Garda forensics experts are travelling to Thailand to try to help identify Irish victims of the tsunami disaster.
The detective superintendent and detective sergeant will go to Phuket late today, where they will assist officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs as well as local police. They are taking with them DNA samples from relatives of Irish people who are believed to have been killed in the tsunami.
A Garda spokesman said the team, which had experience in tracking and identifying missing people, would stay for as long as necessary.
The Government is sending a separate high-level team of officials and military personnel to the disaster zone at the weekend to assess whether the Army can help in the relief effort.
Ireland's Ambassador to Thailand, Mr Daniel Mulhall, who has been co-ordinating efforts there to find Irish people who are unaccounted for, returned to Phuket last night following the identification of the first confirmed Irish victim, Ms Eilis Finnegan.
Her remains are due to be transported from Thailand to Ireland tomorrow if all local formalities can be completed.
Efforts are still being made to locate Ms Lucy Coyle, Killiney, Dublin; Mr Conor Keightley, Co Tyrone; and Mr Michael Murphy, Co Wexford, all of whom are described as "high-risk" cases.
The family of Mr Murphy, missing on Phi-Phi island, were due to arrive on Phuket today.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that several Irish people categorised as "medium risk" in the aftermath of the disaster had turned up safe and well. A Department spokeswoman said around half a dozen Irish people were now categorised as medium risk - down from 13 on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a 24-hour counselling service for Irish people who survived or were bereaved by the disaster has been set up. It may be reached on 1850-24 1850.
In Phuket yesterday, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians joined together to light 10,000 candle lanterns in a memorial ceremony.
More than 1,000 saffron-robed Buddhist monks chanted prayers for the dead after Christian and Muslim leaders paid their own respects in a sunset ceremony at a soccer stadium.
"We have come to make merit for the deceased," said Vince Dhammasuddho (26), an American Buddhist from Georgia.
