Two adults and two children have died and two other children are critically injured in hospital following a fire in Waterford City, police in Ireland said. The deaths of the man and woman and two children were confirmed on Tuesday morning.
Emergency services were called to the house in the Birchwood area of Waterford City shortly after 5am on Tuesday. A gardaí spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána are investigating all the circumstances of a fatal house fire that occurred in the Birchwood area of Waterford City shortly after 5am this morning.”
Gardaí confirm deaths and critical injuries
“Gardaí and emergency services remain at the scene. An Garda Síochána can confirm two adults, one man and one woman, and two children are deceased. Two other children have been removed from the scene and are receiving hospital treatment for critical injuries,” the spokesperson said.
An incident room has been set up at Waterford Garda Station and a senior investigating officer has been appointed. Family liaison officers have also been appointed. The spokesperson added: “An Garda Síochána are appealing for information from anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Birch Avenue, Birchwood, Waterford City in the early hours of Tuesday October 13 to contact Waterford Garda Station on 051 305300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. As this is an ongoing evolving incident An Garda Síochána is not in a position to provide any further detail at present.”
Tributes from political leaders
Minister of State John Cummins and Taoiseach Micheál Martin paid tribute to those who died. Mr Martin described it as a “deeply disturbing situation”, and said details of the incident are still unfolding. Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting in Dublin, 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.”
Mr Cummins said: “Waterford has been plunged into utter devastation and sadness this morning with the tragic loss of lives overnight in Birchwood. My deepest sympathies go to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives, their friends, neighbours and the wider community. I would also like to pay tribute to the emergency services personnel who have been attending what can only be described as a horrific scene.”
The Waterford minister called for gardaí to be given time and space to carry out their investigations. He added: “I know that in the difficult days and weeks ahead, the community will rally around those affected, offering strength, compassion and support in whatever way we can. At times of unimaginable sadness, it is the kindness and solidarity of a close-knit community that can provide some comfort to those who need it most. This is a devastating loss and as a county we stand together in grief and solidarity at this difficult time.”
Fire service response and community support
Bishop Alphonsus Cullinane of Waterford and Lismore expressed his “profound shock and sorrow”. “Our hearts go out to the families who suffered such unimaginable loss. We stand in solidarity with all those whose lives have been devastated by this tragedy,” he said in a statement.
In a statement, Waterford Fire Service said it was alerted to a house fire at Birchwood Avenue at 5.13am on Tuesday. It said: “A number of units from surrounding stations attended and on arrival found a well-developed fire. 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.”
Waterford City and County Council has commissioned the Butler Community Centre in St John’s Park in Waterford city (X91 FEP4) as a Support Hub. Professional supports, refreshments, and facilities are available for those affected by the fire in the Birchwood area.
Sinn Féin TD for Waterford David Cullinane said: “This is very raw for everybody involved. My heart is broken. I can only imagine what this will be for family members, for the wider family who live right across the road, for the city and county, and for people who live in the housing estate to be dealing with this level of grief and trauma. It’s just unimaginable, and all we can do at this point in time is to stand in solidarity with the community to support the wider family and this community as much as we can. And we’re seeing that happen already. My message for this community is that we will be here for you. That we understand that this is an unimaginable tragedy, and people may well need to be supported and I’m very clear that that will be put in place.”
