Father and daughter named as victims of fatal Offaly workplace accident

The man in his fifties and woman in her twenties have been named locally.

Originally from Romania, both were pronounced dead at the scene of the incident at Banagher Precast Concrete. They were preparing a concrete mould at the time of the incident.

The family have been living and working in Banagher for several years and Iona's mother, who also works at the plant, was present when emergency services arrived.

In a statement, gardaí said a post-mortem examination would take place at Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore, and the coroner and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) had been notified.

A spokesman for the HSA said: “The Health and Safety Authority is aware of the fatal incident and has launched an investigation. As such, no further information is available at this time.”

Independent Offaly TD Carol Nolan described it as a “devastating day” for the loved ones of those who lost their lives.

Fine Gael TD John Clendennen said the tragic news had “cast a dark cloud” over the town of Banagher.

“My thoughts are first and foremost with the family and loved ones of those affected at what is an unimaginably difficult time,” he said.

“There is a deep sense of shock and sadness across the community, but I know the people of Banagher will rally around all those impacted in the days ahead.”

Peter Ormond Fianna Fáil Councillor on Offaly County Council said: "I want to extend my sympathies to the familiy of the two people who tragically lost their lives in the workplace accident in Banagher,  as well as to their work colleagues and friends. This is a devastating tragedy, and my thoughts are with all those who knew and loved them."

In a statement to RTÉ, Banagher Precast Concrete described the incident as “a devastating tragedy for everyone connected with our company” and said its immediate priority was supporting the families of the two employees.

It said the circumstances surrounding the incident were not yet fully known, but pledged to co-operate fully with all statutory bodies and provide whatever assistance was required as part of the investigation.

It said an incident of this severity is “unprecedented” for the organisation, and employee safety has “always been a core value and is embedded throughout our daily operations”.