Parents mourn ‘bright and popular’ Paula after farm accident death

In an emotional tribute to her eldest of four children Linda Dinsberga said all she wanted was to hold her daughter, Paula, 8.

"People are asking me what do I need. All I want to do is just see my daughter," she said.

There were heartbreaking scenes at the Dinsberga home in Limerick this afternoon as shocked friends and relatives called to offer their condolences.

The deceased girl's parents - who had earlier attended a relative's wedding in their native Latvia- landed off a plane at Dublin Airport at midnight, oblivious that their daughter had passed away six hours previously.

The distraught couple were met off the plane by Mallow Gardaí who delivered the awful news.

While her parents were away, little Paula had been staying with family friends, who operate a rented farm at Rusheen, Newtownshandrum, Co Cork.

According to Gardaí, Paula and a friend named locally as Kerija Pliesnanis, 11, apparently ran in front of a tractor been driven by the older girl's father Edgar.

Gardaí added Mr Pliesnanis slammed on the brakes of the tractor after both girls, who were playing nearby, ran across his path.

The two girls were crushed under the weight of a front loader which fell off the tractor, pinning them both to the ground

The heartbroken parents, who have an infant daughter and two older sons, said all they wanted to do was travel to Cork to see their daughter. They were waiting for a post mortem to be carried out at Cork University Hospital.

"We are waiting for (Gardaí) to call us and (then) we can go and see her. Everybody asks what I need, but I just want to see my daughter."

According to Gardaí the deceased was killed instantly, however 11-year old Kerija was airlifted to Cork University Hospital where she remains in a critical but stable condition.

Her family were keeping a vigil at her bedside, hoping she would pull through. It is believed she sustained serious head and chest injuries.

The farming community of Newtownshandrum was plunged into grief as news of their Latvian neighbours began to filter through this morning.

Neighbours said the family, who had moved to the area approximately a year ago, were "hardworking quiet people" who "kept to themselves".

Gardaí and officials from the HSA are both carrying out separate enquiries into the tragedy which occurred at 6.30pm on Sunday.