Girl, 8, dies, another girl seriously ill in hospital after farm accident

A post mortem is to be carried out on the body of an eight-year-old girl killed on a County Cork farm yesterday.

An 11-year-old girl is in a critical condition in hospital following the incident which happened in Newtownshandrum near Charleville.

The children were playing in a field in Ballinakill Lower after 6pm yesterday when a tractor bucket fell on them, trapping them underneath.

Gardaí are investigating whether the vehicle had stopped suddenly when the children accidentally ran into its path.

Emergency services were called, however the younger girl was pronounced dead at the scene by a local GP.

The 11-year-old girl was airlifted to Cork University Hospital suffering from crush injuries and is said to be in a critical condition.

The girl who died is understood to have been living in Limerick but was staying with friends while her parents visited family at home in Latvia.

Gardaí were to travel to Dublin Airport to break the news on their return late last night.

Separate investigations into the incident are underway involving the Gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority.