Missing brothers found dead following Mayo car accident
Two children have died in a car accident after they went missing with their father.
Sanjeev Chada, 43, and youngsters Eoghan, aged 10, and Ruairi, aged five, disappeared after leaving the family home in Co Carlow last night to go bowling.
They were discovered near Westport, Co Mayo this afternoon shortly before 4pm, gardaí said.
"Gardaí responding to a single vehicle traffic collision discovered the bodies of two children (both male) in a car," a garda statement said.
"The incident occurred at Clooneen, Rosbeg, Westport about 4 miles from Westport on the Westport to Louisburgh road.
The scene is preserved for forensic technical examination and the office of the State Pathologist has been notified. Dr. Khalid Jabbar is expected at the scene later this evening.
The Garda Technical Bureau has been notified and are on their way to the scene.
The driver of the car, believed to be the children's father, has been taken to hospital. He is not believed to be seriously injured.
Mr Chada was last seen with the children at 6.30pm yesterday evening on their way from their home in Ballinkillen, Bagenalstown to go bowling at the Dome Bowling Centre in Carlow town.
They were reported missing at 1.30am.
Around 2pm today gardaí issued the first ever amber alert for missing children – the Child Rescue Ireland Alert – after the father and sons failed to come home.
Alerts for the family were issued nationwide after their disappearance. It is the first time a Child Rescue Ireland (CRI) alert has been issued for missing children since the system was put in place last year.
It is designed to help gardaí locate an abducted child where there is serious concern for the youngster’s safety.
Fr Declan Foley, parish priest near the Chadas' home, described the two boys as extremely popular and two little sports fanatics.
He was in the family home when news of the car accident was broken to the boys mother Kathleen.
“Thanks be to God there were a lot of people in the house, Kathleen’s parents and brothers and extended family and friends,” he said.
“It was like as if an earthquake hit the place. It was devastating for all of us.
“You can’t put into words the shock and numbness and pain and grief of that news coming through.”
Mrs Chada, a nurse, was originally from the area and lives near where her parents have a home.
“They’re her two boys, her pride and joy,” he told RTÉ.
“The community itself is absolutely ruptured by this sad news.”
A spokeswoman for the local juvenile hurling club, Ballinkillen, where the boys played, said the whole community wanted to extend their condolences to the family.
Another club member who was in shock over the tragedy said everyone associated with the club “were only coming to terms with the news”.
It is understood Kathleen’s father Willie Murphy, who was in the house with the boys’ grandmother Patsy, had to be treated for shock after the family were notified of their deaths.
Gardaí are expected to make a further statement at a briefing in Westport later this evening.
In the meantime they have appealed for anyone who witnessed the crash, or anyone who may have observed a dark green Ford Focus 06 CW 238 between 6.30pm yesterday and 4pm today to contact the incident room at Westport Garda Station on 098 50230.
