Inquiries initiated into fishing boat tragedies

The British and French governments, in co-operation with the Irish authorities, have begun inquiries into two fishing tragedies which have claimed 20 lives off the west coast in the past week.

Weather conditions have hampered the search for seven crew members of the Spanish vessel Arosa off Galway. Further south, there has been no sign of the eight bodies, including that of Mr Tomas Kelly of Fenit, Co Kerry, still missing since the French-registered An-Orient sank off Clare on Sunday.

There are questions about the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the French vessel. The captain, Mr Xavier Leaute, one of three survivors, told French TV the trawler had been fishing at the time, and had been listing "inexplicably" before being hit by a large wave.