Four young people, including teenage girls aged 16 and 17 were killed in a collision in Co Fermanagh early yesterday morning.
The girls died along with two men aged 21 when the Honda Civic in which all four were back-seat passengers left the Moorlough Road between Lisnaskea and Newtownbutler at about 3.30am.
The dead were named as Peter Leonard (21), Carrickmacusker, Lisnaskea; Jonathan McDonald (21), Aghagay Park, Newtownbutler; Anita Swift (16), Magheravelly Road, Newtownbutler, and Danica O'Rourke (17), The Point, Attybaron, Lisnaskea.
The driver and front-seat passenger, both young men, were able to climb free of the wreckage of the car and were taken to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen.
Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
Witnesses to the aftermath of the crash said it was "remarkable" anyone had escaped with their life. All except the driver are thought to be students at school or university.
The collision happened despite the success of a road safety campaign in Northern Ireland which has seen road deaths reducing year on year since 2002.
A total of 136 people were killed on the North's roads in 2005, compared with 150 in 2002. The worst year in the recent past was in 2000 when 171 people were killed. Up until yesterday it appeared 2006 would be another year of reducing fatalities, with 60 people killed in the first six months of the year.
This compared with 63 people killed in the first six months of 2005 and 85 people killed in the first six months of 2004.
SDLP assembly member in Fermanagh and South Tyrone Tommy Gallagher said the community was reeling. "This is another weekend accident involving young people. We're seeing far too many of them, not just in Fermanagh but all across the country. Everybody is at a loss as yet about how to tackle the problem."
SDLP councillor Fergus McQuillan, who knows the families of the four victims, said the parishes of Newtownbutler and Lisnaskea were "deeply saddened" by the deaths.
"A tragedy of this scale has a massive impact on a small place like Fermanagh and no words can express the deep hurt and grief felt by the entire community."
DUP assembly member Arlene Foster expressed her shock at the collision. "This crash will devastate the community and our thoughts go with those involved and their families." The parish priest of Lisnaskea, Canon Joseph Mullin, said it was difficult to express the grief that local people felt.
Meanwhile, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said a male motorcyclist died yesterday following a collision at Castlewellan, Co Down. The man, who has not yet been named, was killed when his motorbike collided with a car yesterday afternoon on the Bann Road at Ballymagreehan, Co Down.