Aughnacloy crash: Three members of same family who died are named after collision involving minibus and lorry

It is understood one of the vehicles involved was a minibus containing a number of people. Four other people were seriously injured.

The incident, which also involved a lorry, occurred on the A5 Tullyvar road just outside Aughnacloy around 7:15am on Thursday morning.

Fr Declan Boland, from Strabane, County Tyrone, said the family were returning from their aunt's funeral in England when the crash happened.

Fr Boland, said the family and local community are in total disbelief at the tragedy.

"The community are struggling to comprehend what is happening. We have to face into the horror of the bodies coming home and then the funerals," he told BBC's The North West Today programme.

Colm Gildernew, Sinn Fein MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, extended his sympathies to the families of the victims.

“The A5 is a road that has seen multiple tragedies over many years and each and every one of those tragedies is an individual disaster for every family and community involved, and it is time that we seen this A5 road completed and made safe to allow people to travel on it in safety,” he said.

SDLP West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan said the victims were from the Strabane area.

He said the local community had been “devastated” by the tragedy.

“The accident in Aughnacloy, that has claimed the lives of three local people from this community and left a number of others seriously injured, is an unspeakable tragedy that has devastated a number of families in this area and left the wider community shocked and heartbroken,” he said.

David Nichol, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) Western Area Commander said three fire engines attended the scene.

“My heartfelt sympathies are with the family and friends of the 3 people who lost their lives following a road traffic collision on the Tullyvar Road, Aughnacloy this morning,” he said.

“NIFRS was called to the incident involving 2 vehicles at 7.21am on Thursday April 27 2023, along with colleagues from Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Police Service of Northern Ireland.

“Three fire appliances attended – two from Clogher Fire Station and one from Dungannon Fire Station.

“Firefighters used cutting equipment to rescue casualties from their vehicles and they were then taken into the care of Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.”