One man has died and three others have been seriously injured in a road crash involving five articulated trucks near Fermoy in north Cork.
The accident happened around 2km north of Fermoy, between the Moorepark Food Research Centre and the Corbett Court Hotel, just before 7am this morning.
Road conditions in the area were wet after the first heavy rain in the area for a considerable time.
A truck, which was fully loaded and travelling downhill from the Dublin direction, is thought to have gone out of control and crashed into a number of trucks travelling in the opposite direction.
The driver of the truck travelling from the Dublin direction died at the scene.
Three others were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The main Cork/Dublin road in the area is closed as two teams of forensic road crash investigators examine the scene. Gardaí now say it may be very late this evening before it reopens.
Diversions are in place through Glanworth for traffic travelling north of Fermoy, and through Kilworth for traffic travelling south of Mitchelstown.
The Fermoy bypass is open, but traffic using the bypass will still have to take the diversions.
Gardaí have appealed to motorists going to and from Cork to travel via Mallow or the Waterford road.
They say a number of minor collisions involving diverted traffic around Fermoy have added to the severe traffic disruption in the area and they have appealed to motorists to slow down and drive with care on these narrower roads.
