Ireland Crime

Reports the repatriation and burial of the three victims in Erbil, Kurdistan, on 5 September 2021, with details of the funeral and the circumstances of the crash (car struck by a lorry on the wrong side of the M6).

Provides details on the repatriation process (coffins flown from Dublin Airport, organised by the Iraqi embassy in London), the head-on nature of the crash with a motorist driving the wrong way, the family's background (Karzan emigrated to Plymouth in 2011, then to Galway for NUIG, gained a PhD, and had just secured a lecture post in Carlow), and public fundraising of over €100,000.

Reports the repatriation process: bodies released from Ballinasloe, moved to Galway mosque for prayers by the Imam, coffins to fly from Dublin to London to Erbil; GoFundMe raised €100,235.

Names the other driver as Polish man Jonasz Lach, living in Portumna, who had mental health issues and drove the wrong way for around 2km. Adds the sister Srwa's comments about wanting to contact Lach's family, the GoFundMe reaching €100,215, and the family's hope to bury the victims on Friday.

Reports that a GoFundMe campaign to repatriate the family's remains raised over €100,000 from around 3,900 donors within 48 hours, more than doubling its revised goal of €40,000. Also notes that Karzan Sabah Ahmed had been working at NUI Galway as a researcher and had recently completed his PhD in agriculture.

Adds the Mayor's statement and the opening of a Book of Condolences, details about the family's background (from Erbil, Iraq; arrived in Ireland in 2017; Karzan was doing a PhD in agriculture at NUI Galway; had submitted his thesis and was offered a job in Carlow), and the GoFundMe fundraising total of over €86,000 from 3,300 donors.

Reports that a GoFundMe page set up by friend John Carey on Monday 23 August 2021 raised €68,645 from over 2,700 donors, exceeding the €40,000 goal, to repatriate the family to Erbil. Provides background that Karzan was completing a PhD in agriculture at NUI Galway and had just secured a job in Carlow, and that the couple came to Ireland in 2017.

Adds details about relatives identifying the bodies, the repatriation process via a solicitor, Karzan's role as a PhD student at NUI Galway, Shahen as an engineer, the family's four-year residence in Ireland, and that they were returning from viewing properties in Carlow where Karzan had been offered a lecturing job. Confirms the crash was a three-car collision at junction 14 and that Jonasz Lach was believed to be driving in the wrong direction at speed westbound.

Reports on the GoFundMe fundraiser that raised over €25,000 (target updated to €40,000) to repatriate the bodies, the family's plans to bring baby Lena home to Kurdistan, and the Kurdish Irish Society's role in informing the extended family in Kurdistan of the crash.

Adds details about the family's plans (property viewing in Carlow, new agriculture lecturing job), the other driver's full name and address (Jonasz Adam Lach, Fisherman's Wharf, Portumna), Gardaí probing deliberate impact or drug use, Lach's mental health issues and prior driving offences, a third car involved with a non-life-threatening injury, and the family's efforts to identify and repatriate the bodies to Iraq.

Community tributes and mourning; Karzan Sabah's background as a PhD student in agriculture at NUI Galway since 2017; confirmation that the fourth fatality was a Polish national driving the wrong way; repatriation of remains to Kurdistan being organised.

Initial report of the four-fatality M6 crash; Gardaí investigating the cause of the wrong-way driving and appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

Gardaí renewing appeal for dash-cam footage from the M6 at Poolboy between 7.20pm and 7.50pm; no formal identification of the four deceased as of 20 August 2021; technical examination of the scene completed and road reopened.

Initial report of the fatal M6 crash; bodies not yet identified, post-mortems pending, Gardaí appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

Initial report of the fatal collision; Gardaí appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage from the M6 at Poolboy, Ballinasloe.

Adds community reaction from local politicians (Senator Aisling Dolan, Cllr Michael Connolly, Cllr Evelyn Parsons, TD Denis Naughten), confirms bodies were removed to Portiuncula Hospital, notes the M6 was closed in both directions between Junctions 14 and 15 with Forensic Collision Investigators examining the scene, and that a planned Bus Éireann protest was deferred.

Confirms time of collision as approximately 7:40pm, identifies specific location as Poolboy, notes bodies taken to Portiuncula Hospital for post-mortem, M6 closed between Junctions 14 and 15, Forensic Collision Investigators examining the scene, and Gardaí appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

Initial report of the fatal collision; four dead at scene, M6 closed between Junctions 14 and 15, Forensic Collision Investigators examining the scene, Gardaí appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

Initial report of the fatal collision with Gardaí appeal for witnesses and dash-cam footage.

Initial report of the fatal collision; no details of the victims or drivers released.

Breaking news update confirming four fatalities in the M6 Ballinasloe crash, with Gardaí advising diversions on the westbound lane.