Gardaí have begun an investigation following a farm incident in Co Cork last night which claimed the life of one child and left another in a critical condition in hospital.
The incident happened sometime after 6pm when two girls, aged eight and 11, were playing on a farm at Ballinakill Lower in Newtownshandrum near Charleville in north Cork.
The girls, both the daughters of Latvian couples living in Ireland, were playing in a field when a bucket on a tractor being driven by the farmer fell, trapping them beneath.
Both girls suffered serious crush injuries and emergency services were called but the youngest girl was pronounced dead at the scene by a local GP.
Treated at the scene
The 11-year-old was treated at the scene before she was airlifted by helicopter to Cork University Hospital where her condition was last night said to be critical.
It is understood the youngest girl – who lived with her family in Limerick city– was staying along with some siblings with the other family while her parents visited relatives back in Latvia.
The parents were returning to Ireland late last night on a scheduled flight unaware of the incident and gardaí from Fermoy went to Dublin Airport to break the news to them.
One garda described the incident as “a desperately sad tragedy – everyone here is distraught and just devastated at what happened here tonight – your heart would go out to all of them.”
The body of the dead girl was last night removed to Cork University Hospital where Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster will carry out a postmortem today.
