The families of the three young Irish women killed in Australia when their car collided head on with a truck were last night awaiting notification of when their bodies could be flown home.
The bodies of Ms Joanne McNamara (25), from Caherline, Caherconlish, Co Limerick, Ms Oonagh Whittle (23), Cooltegan, Woodstown, Co Waterford, and Ms Lisa Butler (23), Laurel Park, Clondalkin, Dublin, have yet to be formally identified but their families have been notified of their deaths.
An English woman, aged 29, from Hull, who was also travelling in their Ford Falcon, was killed in the collision, which occurred at Pinecreek, 150 miles south of Darwin, on Monday afternoon. A Finnish woman in the car survived and is receiving treatment at the Royal Darwin Hospital, where she is conscious.
Ms Whittle's parents, Tom and Geraldine, issued a brief statement yesterday calling for privacy at a time of "extreme personal grief" for the family. "We are totally devastated by the loss of our much-loved daughter Oonagh," said the statement.
The three Irish women met at Carlow RTC, where they studied business and administration. Ms Whittle and Ms McNamara went on to work together in secretarial posts at Dublin City University.
It is understood that Ms Butler worked in a Dublin hotel before leaving with Ms McNamara to travel to Australia in January. Ms Whittle joined her friends in May. They had planned to continue travelling the country and return home for Christmas.
The Finnish and English women answered an advertisement placed by the Irish women, who were looking for travelling companions to share petrol costs.
Investigating officers from Darwin do not believe that speed was a factor in the crash. Witnesses said the women's station wagon blew a rear tyre before careering across Stuart's Highway into the path of an oncoming 50-metre "road train".
The women's families were said to be in a state of shock yesterday as they awaited further news of the identification process. It is thought it could be next week before their bodies will be returned to Ireland.
Dublin City University confirmed yesterday that Ms Whittle had worked in the college's registry office from September 1997 to September 1999, and Ms McNamara in the same office from April 1997 to January 2000.
"They were both highly valued members of the staff and made very valuable contributions to DCU. They worked in an area whose primary function was central to academic/student life.
"They were two young, vivacious, outgoing women who were very popular with their colleagues. Their loss, at such a young age and in such tragic circumstances, has come as a great shock to all in DCU. Our thoughts and sympathies are with their families and friends," added the statement.