Three Irish people killed in 'devastating' Malaga collision

Three Irish people have died in a car crash in southern Spain, it has been reported.

Two women and a man from Co Westmeath, aged between 24 and 32, were fatally injured in the incident near Malaga in the early hours of Sunday, The Irish Times have said.

A fourth Irish 31-year-old man was taken to hospital to be treated for serious injuries.

The news was described as “absolutely devastating” by Longford–Westmeath TD Robert Troy, who said he had spoken to relatives of the three people.

The crash happened on the A7 motorway west of Malaga at about 2.30am on Sunday.

The car in which the Irish group were travelling went through a barrier and plunged down an embankment, police said.

A woman in the other car involved was treated at the scene for minor injuries, and a spokesman for the Civil Guard police force told The Irish Times that she would be interviewed as part of the investigation.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and it is "too early" to say what caused the crash, he added.

“A series of technical data will enable investigators to determine the speed the crash vehicle was doing, if not the exact speed then very close to it.

“These cars nowadays don’t have a black box but they have information via computers that is going to facilitate the work of the investigators and obtain certain data.”

Troy, a Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State at the Department of Finance, said the news from Spain is “absolutely devastating”.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said those who died “only went on holidays at the end of last week”.

“Their family is processing now that some of them aren’t coming back home, and that is an awful thing to have to deal with,” he added.

“Our thoughts are with that family, indeed all families that are affected, and all we can do is hold them in our thoughts and prayers over the coming days, as they come to terms with this great loss.”

Troy said the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Embassy in Spain were “providing every assistance to the families”.

The department confirmed it was aware of the incident and was assisting the families involved.