A father and his 24-year-old daughter were killed in a devastating workplace accident at a concrete manufacturing plant in Ireland, leaving their family, co-workers and local community reeling.
Mihai Chinez, 49, and his daughter Denisa Mihaela Chinez, 24, died Monday morning at Banagher Precast Concrete in County Offaly.
The pair were originally from Romania but had lived in the Banagher area for years and both worked at the plant.
Emergency crews and Irish police, known as Gardaí, were called to the facility at around 11:40 a.m.
Mihai and Denisa were pronounced dead at the scene. Their bodies were later taken to Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore for post-mortem examinations.
Authorities have not yet publicly explained exactly what caused the fatal accident.
However, local reporting indicates the father and daughter were working in an area where precast concrete slats are produced and were believed to have been preparing a concrete mold when the incident occurred.
Ireland’s Health and Safety Authority has launched an investigation into the deaths.
The agency has said it is examining the circumstances surrounding the incident but has not released further details while the investigation remains active.
Banagher Precast Concrete described the deaths as a devastating and unprecedented tragedy for the company.
The manufacturer said its immediate focus was supporting the victims’ relatives and co-workers and pledged to cooperate fully with the safety investigation.
The loss has hit one family especially hard.
Mihai’s wife, Angela, who was also Denisa’s mother, works at the same plant, according to local officials.
Denisa also leaves behind her fiancé, Liviu Blaj, as well as her sister, Lavinia Alexandra.
A funeral notice said the father and daughter would be “sadly missed and deeply regretted” by their immediate family, extended relatives, neighbors, friends and work colleagues.
Their deaths have also shaken the wider Banagher community, where the family had built their lives after moving from Romania.
John Leahy, chairman of the Birr Municipal District, said residents were in “deep shock” and were preparing to rally around the grieving family.
He said the Chinez family had been part of the community for a number of years.
Banagher Precast Concrete is a major local employer.
The company manufactures precast and prestressed concrete products and employs more than 250 workers across its approximately 50-acre facility in County Offaly and another manufacturing site in England.
That close connection between the plant and the surrounding community has made the deaths especially painful for residents, many of whom know someone who works there.
Funeral arrangements have now been announced for Mihai and Denisa.
The father and daughter are scheduled to lie in repose at Banagher Community Centre Wednesday evening from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.
A joint funeral Mass is scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. Rynagh’s Church in Banagher.
After the Mass, Denisa will be buried at St. Rynagh’s Cemetery.
Mihai will be cremated at a later date.
Tributes have poured in since news of the accident spread.
Offaly lawmaker Tony McCormack said he was deeply saddened by the deaths and expressed sympathy for the family’s loved ones, friends and co-workers.
He also acknowledged the shock felt throughout Banagher following the sudden loss of two members of the same family.
Others have left messages of condolence describing the deaths as heartbreaking and offering prayers to Angela, Lavinia, Liviu and everyone affected.
For now, one major question remains unanswered: how an ordinary morning at work ended with a father and daughter losing their lives at the same facility.
Investigators with Ireland’s workplace safety authority are expected to examine the equipment involved, working conditions and events leading up to the accident as they try to determine exactly what went wrong.
No findings about responsibility or the precise cause of the accident have been announced.
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