Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil in Strabane in Co Tyrone tonight in memory of three members of a family who died in a road crash near Aughnacloy early yesterday.
The victims were brother and sister Dan and Christine McKane, both from Strabane, and their aunt Julia McSorley, from nearby Newtownstewart.
Four other family members were injured.
Mourners filled the grotto, where Dan and Christine's children and relatives of their aunt Julia McSorley listened as their names were read and a candle lit for each of them.
There were also prayers for four relatives injured when the minibus the family was travelling in collided with a lorry.
They include two sisters and a brother of Dan and Christine McKane.
The seven members of the same extended family were travelling home together after attending the funeral of a relative in England when the collision happened.
Father Declan Boland thanked those in attendance.
"Your presence here this evening is deeply appreciated," he said.
"We're all at a loss of what to say, how to respond but we respond in the deepest way possible we gather together as a community of faith."
Father Boland expressed condolences to the family on behalf of the community in Strabane.
"We're standing in silent solidarity this evening with the McKane family, that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss," he said.
Two of those injured remain in hospital.
A special mass was also held tonight 40 miles away in Aughnacloy close to the scene of the tragedy.
The crash took place at Tullyvar just outside the village of Aughnacloy at around 7.20am yesterday.
Police in Northern Ireland continue to appeal for information.
PSNI officers have carried out forensic examinations of the road and the vehicles involved in the crash, which appear to be a lorry and a mini-van.
"We're punctured today, our community is broken-hearted at the loss of such a lovely family"
Fr Boland said the incident had brought shock and loss to the area.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, he said the sense among the community was one of "devastation" and "disbelief".
"I would know the family very well, they were reared and brought up in this parish, very close knit, very loving, very kind, very much part of the community and very willing to take part in any parish activities we ever had - a beautiful family and very kind and caring," he said.
He added that it was difficult to comprehend the enormity of what has happened.
"We're punctured today, our community is broken-hearted at the loss of such a lovely family - a brother, a sister and an aunt - coming from Corby in England after the funeral mass of an aunt, to be taken out so quickly and unexpectedly."
The PSNI also appealed to the public not to share inappropriate images from the scene.
In a statement, they said it was aware of "inappropriate photographs taken of the scene of the fatal collision" being shared on social media and other platforms.
Supt Mervyn Seffen, Mid Ulster District Commander said: "Three people have sadly lost their lives in this tragic collision and our thoughts are with their family and friends today.
"Do not add to their distress by viewing or sharing these images."
Additional reporting PA
