February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
It is believed that as many as 700 Irish citizens were in the area when the deadly waves struck, and 15 have received medical treatment at local hospitals, according to Catriona Doris of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs. The plight of most of the others was unknown as the Echo went to press on Tuesday. None of the reported injuries were life-threatening.
“There are no fatalities so far,” said Doris, “but it is peak travel time for the region.”
RTE is reporting that between 10 and 20 Irish people are unaccounted for at latest count. Two Dublin women, identified as Eileesh Finnegan and Lucy Coyle, both 27, were traveling separately in the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand and are reported missing.
Early on Tuesday morning four Irish women arrived at Dublin airport from Thailand where they escaped the tsunamis on the island of Koh Phi Phi. They suffered minor injuries.
The main focus for the Irish government is accounting for the missing and providing aid the damaged areas, which Red Cross officials estimate to be in the billions of dollars. Two Irish relief agencies, GOAL and Concern Worldwide, were on the scene Tuesday and preparing to expand their operations.
The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Conor Lenihan, has already announced a special grant of