Five bodies, reportedly including three children, were recovered from the auto.
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It is understood that gardai are treating this matter as a tragic accident, and that the vehicle may have accidentally slipped into the water.
The exact circumstances of how the auto, believed to have a Northern Ireland registration plate, ended up in the water have not yet been determined.
The vehicle plunged into the water at Buncrana pier, Co.
Gardai, ambulances and fire brigades also rushed to the scene as efforts to save those trapped inside the auto got under way.
A fourth child is in a critical condition at Letterkenny University Hospital after the tragedy in Buncrana.
He said: “Gardaí and emergency services are at the scene of an incident that occurred at Buncrana Pier this evening”.
A helicopter had joined the search for survivors.
“Thoughts are with relatives of those involved and rescue services”.
“I was in my house and I began to hear sirens a lot of activity”.
“The texts messages started to go off and I came down to the pier”.
Five people, two adult men, one adult woman and two young boys are feared dead.
“People are just numb and they are obviously thinking about the road tragedy we had here in 2010”.
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“Inishowen has had so much tragedy and this would appear to be another chapter in that tragic history”. The five bodies were taken to Letterkenny General Hospital where post mortems are to be arranged.
