Gardai are still trying to identify three men whose car burst into flames following a two-vehicle collision in Co Waterford.
The three deceased, all believed to be in their 30s, died after their car collided with a people carrier at a junction on the main Waterford to Lismore Road, just north of Dungarvan, at about 10am on Sunday.
The occupants of the people carrier, a 37-year-old woman, her 35 -year-old partner and four children, were seriously injured in the crash, which happened at a section of the N 72 known locally as the Military Road.
The emergency services were quickly on the scene and firefighters from Waterford County fought to bring a blaze in the car under control.
A nine-year-old girl and the man were airlifted from the scene to Cork University Hospital by the Irish Coastguard helicopter from Waterford Rescue 117 while the woman was airlifted by an Air Corps helicopter, also to Cork University Hospital.
All three underwent emergency surgery and it is understood that while their injuries were serious, they were last night in a critical but stable condition. The three younger children were in a serious condition at University Hospital Waterford in Ardkeen.
It is understood the woman is originally from Farranree in Cork city and she lost her brother in a road traffic collision two years ago at Killeens outside Cork city. The man is originally from Cobh but the family are now living in the Mallow area of north Cork.
Meanwhile, gardaí in Dungarvan traced the car to a man from the Blackpool area of Cork's northside. They were last night still trying establish if he still owned the vehicle or had sold it on.
It took the emergency services some time to make the car safe before they were able to remove the bodies. All three were removed to University Hospital Waterford for a postmortem examination and formal identification which may involve DNA samples.
Gardaí in Dungarvan have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the crash or travelled the road at about 10am and have any information that can assist them to contact Dungarvan Garda Station on 058-48600.
Gardai put diversions in place on the Military Road to allow the emergency services carry out the rescue operation and the road remained closed to allow a forensic crash investigator examine the scene.
Both vehicles were removed for examination by Garda mechanical experts.
