Three Irish citizens have been killed in a road crash in southern Spain, while a fourth is in hospital.

It happened in the early hours of Sunday morning on the A7 motorway near Malaga at around 2.35 am.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, has expressed her condolences to the families involved, and said her department is providing consular assistance.

" Can I just start by offering my condolences. This is an absolutely devastating accident, devastating for all of the families involved.

"It's important to say that we've reached out to, and the Gardaí have reached out immediately to those involved. But it's, really a matter to try and identify what has happened here".

It's reported the car crashed after being driven off an embankment and colliding with another vehicle.

A 31-year-old Irish man, who's reported to be the driver of the car, is in a serious condition in hospital.

Gerard Couzens, who's a journalist in Spain, says police haven't released many details of the people involved in the crash.

"Three people died at the scene. We've had confirmation that all were Irish nationals.

 "The three people who died were all aged between 23 and 34.

"A fourth man - who's also Irish and the driver [of the car] I've been told - is very serious in hospital.

"[Police] have said that the driver is 31, but apart from confirming the nationalities, they won't say any more.

Mr Couzens, said the police investigation will be done "out of the public eye".

"The results, the initial findings, and then a full report will be sent to a local court, which is already coordinating this probe.

 "The initial reports were that two cars, including the car with the Irish nationals inside, had collided.

"Police told me this morning that essentially it was the driver losing control of the vehicle, for reasons which are still under investigation, and going down this very steep embankment and hitting the other car on the way.

"It wasn't the collision itself that caused the crash".