Final Irish tsunami victim found

The body of Michael Murphy, the last Irish person missing after the Asian tsunami, has been identified in Thailand.

Mr Murphy, a 23-year-old science graduate from Ballyconnigar, Co Wexford, was one of four Irish people killed in the disaster.

He was on Khao Lak in Thailand, one of the worst-affected areas in the wave which struck countries around the Indian Ocean on December 26th last year.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed that the remains of Mr Murphy had been identified. She said the department was offering all possible assistance to his family.

She declined to say what arrangements had been made for the return of his body, saying this was a private matter for the victim's family.

Mr Murphy's body was identified using DNA and dental records brought to Thailand by a team of gardaí helping in an international effort to identify thousands of foreign nationals. Last week the remains of another Irish victim, Lucy Coyle, were identified.

A disaster victim identification centre has been in operation in Phuket since early January and is staffed by an international team of police officers and forensic scientists.

Last month Det Supt John O'Driscoll visited the centre and brought DNA and dental and fingerprint information provided by the Coyle and Murphy families.

In February he led a team of Garda officers to Thailand to help in the search for both victims.

Officials from the Irish Embassy in Malaysia have also been closely involved in the search.

The bodies of the first two victims, Eilis Finnegan from Ballyfermot, Dublin, and Conor Keightley from Cookstown, Co Tyrone, were identified in January.