A Green Party councillor and his girlfriend were killed in a road crash in Beijing yesterday when their tourist minibus was hit by a truck as they drove to the Great Wall of China.
Fintan McCarthy and Sonya Rabbitte were both in their 30s. A Dutch man also died in the crash, which happened at 9.25am. Another tourist, also Dutch, was slightly injured.
The group was on its way to Miyun, a popular access point to see the Great Wall. The crash occurred at a crossroads in Shunyi, a suburb north of Beijing, local Chinese officials said.
Heavy cement drainage pipes are believed to have fallen off the lorry on to the rear of the minibus, killing the three tourists instantly.
Tributes to Cllr McCarthy, a primary teacher who was elected to South Dublin County Council in 2003, and Ms Rabbitte were last night led by Green Party leader Trevor Sargent.
"Fintan McCarthy was the most decent, hard-working guy anyone could ever meet. My heart goes out to the families of both Fintan and his girlfriend, Sonya Rabbitte, their many close friends and especially Fintan's best friend, Paul Gogarty TD."
Tánaiste and Dublin Mid-West TD Mary Harney described the deaths as a "terrible tragedy".
"Fintan McCarthy was extremely committed to Lucan and much admired by all who came into contact with him in the course of his extensive work in the community," she said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it had made contact with the families of the deceased and was offering them consular assistance.
China's roads are the most hazardous in the world. Last month, the Ministry of Public Security said nearly 42,000 people were killed in over 190,000 traffic accidents in the first half of the year.