Skip to content

East Belfast: Two people rescued from flat fire

Pacemaker A corner window on the first floor of a red-brick building is boarded up with plywood. There is a blue and white sign on the ground floor exterior wall that says 'Radius Housing: Welcome to Inverary Fold'.Pacemaker
Two people were rescued from an east Belfast flat on Saturday after a fire

Two people have been rescued from a fire at a flat in the Sydenham area of east Belfast.

Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus rescued the occupants from the flat within Inverary Fold and extinguished the blaze.

Three people were also led to safety from neighbouring flats by fire personnel and police officers.

A Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) spokesperson said: "Seven fire appliances and a support appliance attended the incident at Inverleith Drive on Saturday evening."

'Relieved'

Those rescued were left in the care of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS).

The NIFRS said the cause of the fire is believed to be accidental.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor Ruth Brooks said around 20 residents had to be evacuated to family homes and nearby Inverary Community Centre following the fire.

She said residents were in "shock" following the incident.

Ruth Brooks Fire appliance and tape beside railings in Sydenham in east BelfastRuth Brooks
Seven fire appliances and a support appliance attended the incident in the Sydenham area of the city

"The community centre was opened just after teatime and the residents were brought across here," she told BBC News NI.

"It is a warm and safe building that they are familiar with.

"It has just been a waiting game trying to assess and find out are they going to be able to go back into their apartments, has there been any damage?

"But I think many are relieved that the process to get them home is happening now and that they are not going to be here throughout the whole night."