Ten Irish citizens trapped in the Hurricane Katrina disaster zone in the US are believed to be safe and well after they were finally contacted by the Foreign Affairs Department last night, it emerged today.
Telephone lines had been disrupted by the country's biggest natural disaster but Department officials eventually made contact last evening.
Citizens who have been spoken to are so far safe and well but other Irish nationals in the area have not yet been in touch and efforts to contact them are continuing.
It also emerged today that Minister Dermot Ahern wrote a personal letter to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to sympathise with her on the devastation wreaked in her home state of Alabama and thanked her for assistance given to his officials.
Mr Ahern is in Wales today to attend talks on Turkey's EU entry but is being kept informed about the Hurricane Katrina situation on an hourly basis.
A department spokesman said today: "This is a tragedy on an enormous scale. "A number of Irish people have been caught up in the unfolding situation but up to now communications links have been poor.
"All day yesterday all communications throughout the region were down. "It wasn't until late last night or the early hours of this morning that we were able to get through and make contact with anyone."
The department said it had been in touch with the majority of the Irish people that it is aware of in the disaster region and so far they are all safe and well.
But a spokesman added: "There are still some individuals who have not yet been in touch. "Efforts to contact them are ongoing. We have been in contact with their families in Ireland."
Mr Ahern last night wrote a personal letter to the Secretary of State to sympathise with her on the devastation wreaked in her home state of Alabama.
He also thanked Ms Rice for the assistance his officials were receiving from US Federal and State agencies in providing consular assistance.
"I wish to offer you my deepest sympathy following the terrible effects of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi and the surrounding states," the letter said.
"Irish people here at home and in the USA, are greatly saddened and moved by the loss of life, as well as the widespread effect which the hurricane has had on so many families, their homes and livelihoods.
Mr Ahern told Ms Rice that Alabama had important bonds with Ireland and the hurricane victims were in our thoughts at this time.