A 12-year-old boy was killed when the car he was traveling in was struck by a train at a level crossing in County Mayo, Ireland. The collision happened shortly after 8:45 p.m. on Thursday, and the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the car, a man in his late 40s, sustained injuries that are not considered life-threatening and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Passengers on the train were able to disembark safely, and arrangements were made for their onward transport, according to Irish police.
Forensic Collision Investigators are conducting a technical examination of the crash site. The road remained closed Friday morning as the boy's remains were taken to Mayo University Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Gardaí, the Irish police force, have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
The incident caused significant disruption to the rail line between Westport and Athlone, which is expected to remain closed until further notice. This was the second disruption on the Westport to Dublin line on Thursday. Earlier that afternoon, around 3:50 p.m., a train collided with a tractor at a level crossing in Meelaghans, between Portarlington and Tullamore. The driver of the tractor, also in his 40s, was taken to Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Iarnród Éireann, the national railway company, issued a statement expressing its deepest sympathies to the family of the young boy. "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by today's incidents," the company said in an earlier social media post.
Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien called the incident "awful news" and an "absolute tragedy." He confirmed that a full investigation is underway, involving both An Garda Síochána and rail safety investigators. O'Brien noted that both incidents on Thursday would be investigated and highlighted Ireland's generally good safety record, while acknowledging the rarity of two such occurrences on the same line in a single day.