Two children have died in a car fire in Co Westmeath.
The alarm was raised shortly before 4pm after a car with three occupants was discovered on fire on a rural road at Lackan near Multyfarnham.
Gardaí and emergency services were alerted to attend the scene.
An infant boy was removed to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar where he was pronounced dead.
The remains of a young girl were discovered inside the car at the scene. Her body has been removed from the scene to Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore.
An adult woman was treated at the scene for burn injuries. She was taken by air ambulance to a Dublin hospital. Her injures are understood to be serious but not thought to be life-threatening.
The scene has been examined by the Garda Technical Bureau and remains preserved overnight.
The car has been removed from the scene and will be further forensically examined tomorrow.
The scene has also been examined by the State Pathologist, Dr Sally Ann Collis.
Dr Collis will carry out post mortems on both the deceased children in the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore tomorrow. The coroner has been notified.
Gardaí said that the results of the post mortems and the forensic examinations will determine the course of their investigation.
An incident room has been established at Mullingar Garda Station and Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed to lead the investigation.
An Garda Síochána is appealing to any person with any information in relation to this fatal incident to contact them in Mullingar at 044 9384000, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 11 or any Garda station.
