A young girl who was killed in a freak farm accident suffered fatal blunt force trauma to her spine after a heavy weight fell from a tractor and would have died instantly.

The details emerged on Monday at an inquest into the death on September 28 last of Paula Dinsberga, aged eight, on a farm in Newtownshandrum, outside Charleville in Co Cork, was opened in Mallow.

Paula, from Dooradoyle in Co Limerick, had been staying with family friends, the Pliesnanis family, on their rented farm while her parents, Linda and Raivo Dinsberga, attended a family wedding in their native Latvia.

Garda Cathal O’Regan told the coroner for North Cork, Dr Michael Kennedy, that gardai were informed an accident had occurred at Rusheen at 6.50pm.

They rushed to the scene together with a Health Service Executive (HSE) ambulance crew.

Paula's 11-year-old friend, Keriga Pliesnanis, suffered severe crush injuries in the incident and was airlifted to Cork University Hospital.

However, Mallow GP Dr Aidan Kelleher pronounced Paula dead at the scene before she could be transferred to hospital. She was identified to gardai by Kerija's father, Edgar.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told Dr Kennedy she conducted a post mortem examination on Paula's remains at CUH the following day and established the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the upper spinal cord due to a heavy weight falling on her from a tractor.

“It would have been absolutely instantaneous death. She would have felt no pain at all,” Dr Bolster said.

Details of identification were also heard allowing for the issuing of a death certificate to Paula’s parents.

But following an application from Supt Pat McCarthy, Dr Kennedy agreed to adjourn the inquest under Section 25 of the Coroner’s Act, 1962 given that both garda and Health and Safety Authority investigations are ongoing.

The inquest is due to be mentioned again in mid 2015.

Dr Kennedy extended his sympathy to Paula’s mother, Linda, who attended the brief inquest accompanied by a friend and a garda liaison officer.

She and her husband flew back to Ireland on the night of the incident completely unaware of the tragic events which were unfolding in north Cork.

Gardaí had to break the news to them when their flight landed at Dublin Airport around midnight.