Spanish police are continuing to investigate the mysterious deaths of an Irish couple whose bodies were discovered by their two children at a holiday villa in Valencia.

The man, 50, and woman, 45, were found dead on Tuesday in the jacuzzi area of a rented property in the Cap Blanc urbanisation of Cullera, a coastal resort around 40km south of Valencia.

The discovery initially prompted a homicide investigation after small injuries were observed on the bodies, with authorities also examining whether drugs could have played a role.

However, the evidence gathered so far is understood to be increasingly pointing towards a tragic accident involving the jacuzzi.

Castleblayney councillor Paul Gibbons confirmed to Irish newspaper Anglo Celt that the deceased woman is from the Drumhowan area and described her family as ‘very, very well-respected’ in the local community.

‘I would like to offer my sympathy and all my support to the family at this time,’ Cllr Gibbons told the Celt.

‘There is uncertainty around the terrible incident at this time but one would hope that it is a sad accident rather than anything more tragic.’

What happened?

The Irish family had been staying at a rented villa and had only been at the property for a few days.

On Tuesday afternoon, the couple’s two children, aged 14 and 15 and reported to have special needs, began looking for their parents after being unable to find them.

They eventually went to the lower part of the property, where they made the horrific discovery of their parents’ bodies close to the jacuzzi.

The children alerted the person who had rented the property to the family, who then contacted the 112 emergency service.

Police and paramedics rushed to the villa but the couple could not be saved.

The children were left in shock and received assistance from Cullera’s social services and Red Cross psychologists. Their lack of Spanish also made communication with emergency workers more difficult.

Why did police initially suspect something sinister?

The circumstances surrounding the deaths were unusual enough for the Guardia Civil’s homicide investigators to take charge of the case.

Investigators noticed small injuries on the couple’s bodies, prompting questions about how they had died.

However, initial examinations of the villa reportedly found no clear evidence of violence or forced entry, while there were also no signs that rooms had been searched or disturbed.

Investigators also examined whether drugs could have been involved, although this has not been established as the cause.

Toxicology tests are expected to be crucial in determining whether either member of the couple had consumed any substances before their deaths.

Could it have been a jacuzzi accident?

This is now understood to be the leading line of investigation, although it has not been confirmed.

One possibility being examined is that one member of the couple suffered a medical emergency or other serious incident while in or around the water.

Investigators are considering whether the second person then attempted to help their partner, potentially explaining some of the injuries found on their bodies, before also dying.

Police are examining the jacuzzi itself as they attempt to reconstruct the couple’s final moments.

The water was reportedly cloudy, something which caught investigators’ attention, and biological material and water samples are being analysed.

What happened to the children?

Authorities contacted the couple’s relatives in Ireland following the deaths.

Three family members travelled to Cullera during the early hours of Wednesday and took responsibility for the two children.

They were subsequently taken to a hotel in Cullera with their relatives while the investigation continues.

The tragedy has also caused shock in Ireland, particularly in the area where the woman was from.

What happens now?

The bodies were transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Valencia for forensic examinations.

Investigators will now rely heavily on the results of the post-mortems and toxicology tests, alongside evidence gathered from the villa and jacuzzi.

Those tests should help determine whether the deaths were caused by drowning, a medical emergency, intoxication or another factor.

For now, an accident connected to the jacuzzi appears to be the principal hypothesis, but Spanish authorities have yet to establish an official cause of death.