Original Summary

RTÉ / Part of a housing estate in the Birchwood area of Waterford remains cordoned off Two children are among four people who have died following a house fire in Waterford city in the Republic of Ireland. Two other children are critically injured following the blaze at the property on house on Birchwood Avenue. The fire was reported to Waterford Fire Service at 05:13 local time on Tuesday and its crews arrived to a "well-developed fire". It said "a number of casualties were removed from the two-storey house" before the blaze was extinguished. Gardaí (Irish police) said two adults, a man and woman, were also killed in the fire. The housing estate is just off the Killure Road, and emergency services remain at the scene. Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that one body has been removed from the scene in a hearse. The Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin Martin spoke briefly about the fire as he arrived for a Cabinet meeting in Dublin on Tuesday morning. He said his thoughts and prayers were with those who died in the fire and he appealed to the public to "give space to first responders". At the time he said that although he did not yet have the full details it was a "very worrying and deeply disturbing situation". 'Unspeakable tragedy' Sinn Féin TD (member of the Irish Parliament) David Cullinane said he knows the family who live in the house and said his heart went out to their relatives. "I'm just utterly heartbroken," Cullinane said. "There is such devastation in the housing estate itself but also in the wider community in Waterford city". The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan described it as an "unspeakable tragedy" which had shocked the entire city. He said the Catholic Church would "reach out as best we can" to help those affected and the parish priest would likely call to offer support. The bishop said neighbours living in the estate will also have been affected by the incident but he believed they would rally round to help the family. The Mayor of the Waterford Metropolitan District, Lola O'Sullivan, urged people not to speculate about the cause of the fire. "It upsets me no end to see people commenting on social media about something that they don't have firm facts on," she said. Waterford City and County Council has opened a support hub for people who have been affected by the fire. It said facilities and refreshments are available at Butler Community Centre in St John's Park.

  • 情报分类：商业与市场研究
  • 分类依据：内容涉及商业、投资或市场动态
  • 信息来源：英语新闻 / BBC News Top Stories
  • 发布时间：2026/10/13 18:11:32