A number of fatalities, including children, have occurred after a house fire in Waterford city this morning.
Local radio station, WLR FM, are reporting that “it is now understood to have been an alleged petrol bomb targeting the property.”
The emergency services were called at around 5.13 am this morning alerting them to a fire at a house at Birch Avenue, Kilcohan located south of Waterford city.
Waterford Fire Service said that when fire crews rushed to the scene a “well-developed fire” had the house ablaze.
“Firefighting operations commenced immediately, and a number of casualties were removed from the two storey house. The fire was extinguished and the scene handed over to An Garda Síochána,” a spokesperson for the fire service explained.
Speaking on his way to the Cabinet meeting this morning, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it a “very worrying and deeply disturbing situation”.
He said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with anybody who has lost their lives and all who are affected.
“We thank the first responders who are at the scene.
“We say to everyone to give space to the first responders, to the gardaí to deal with what clearly is a very worrying and deeply disturbing situation.”
On RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Sinn Fein’s David Cullinane, who knows the family well, said he was devastated by the loss of life.
“People will know the family and there is absolute heartbreak when you have children involved as well, so it’s obviously very emotional,” he said.
“I knew the family very well. In fact I only met him very recently. So, I’m in shock myself still and my heart was broke.
“Obviously for the family, we don’t know the number of fatalities, but we do know it’s very high.”
WLR say that: “Two children, one of which is a teenager and one a young child are to be transferred to Crumlin Children’s Hospital from University Hospital Waterford for treatment of significant injuries.”