Thu, 10 Feb 2011
Three British citizens, two Irish people and a Spaniard are now known to have died when a Manx2 plane crashed in Ireland this morning.
The aircraft was flying between Belfast and Cork.
The Metro Liner was making its third attempt at trying to land in foggy conditions at Cork Airport
Some of the dead are understood to be the crew and employees of the KPMG accountancy firm based in Belfast.
Six people who were injured remain in Cork University Hospital.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Manx2 Noel Hayes was abroad when the accident happened.
He's released a statement upon his return, “This has been a terrible day and our thoughts are, first and foremost, with the families of those who lost their lives, and those who were injured.
“We need to establish what happened this morning, and we will continue to work with the authorities throughout their investigation.
“Members from my team have been in Cork to liaise with the relevant authorities.
“Manx2.com has never experienced anything like this in our five year history and the tragedy has been a terrible shock to us all.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives, and we hope that the people who were injured make a full recovery.
“I also want to pay tribute to the emergency services in Cork, who were extremely quick and professional in their response. In addition we are very grateful for the support provided by Cork Airport & Belfast City Airport. We will continue to do everything we can to help those affected in any way by this tragedy.”