Family Of Five Killed After Car Slips Off Pier Into The Sea

Five people from the same family have been killed after the car they were in slipped off a pier and into the sea.
The only survivor of the tragedy was a baby girl who was passed from the car window as it slid into the sea.

The baby, believed to be two or three months old, was taken to hospital and is in a stable condition.

The accident happened at Buncrana Pier in Co Donegal in Ireland at about 7.15pm on Sunday.

Three children are thought to be among the five people killed. The family were believed to be from nearby Londonderry.

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Emergency services said they had recovered the bodies of two boys, a man and a woman. The age of a second female fatality has not been confirmed.

Police are treating the incident as an accident and it thought the car may have “slipped” into the water.

“A baby girl was rescued from the car, with the assistance of a bystander,” police said.
A major air and sea rescue mission was launched by the coastguard, police and emergency services after the alarm was raised.
Two lifeboats, a helicopter and local fishing boats were involved in the effort to save those trapped inside the car.

Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness said on Twitter: “Very sad news of fatalities in an incident at Buncrana Pier tonight. Thoughts are with relatives of those involved and rescue services.”

Buncrana councillor Rena Donaghy told the BBC it was a “tragedy of enormous magnitude”.

She said: “I’ve been standing at the pier with so many others from the town looking out at blue flashing lights on the water in a state of complete shock.

“People here can’t believe what they’re hearing, can’t believe what they’re seeing.”

Jack Murray, local Sinn Fein councillor in Inishowen, said: “It seems the baby was passed out as the car was sinking.

“The baby was passed out the window - a local who had been there tried to help and managed to recover the baby at that point,