Child dies following Ballymena house fire

A child has died following a house fire in Ballymena.
By Niall Deeney
Published 30th Sep 2020, 21:20 BST
30/09/20 MCAULEYMULIMEDIA..The scene of a serious house fire in Ballykeel Estate, Ballymena. Pic Steven McAuley/McAuley Multimedia30/09/20 MCAULEYMULIMEDIA..The scene of a serious house fire in Ballykeel Estate, Ballymena. Pic Steven McAuley/McAuley Multimedia
30/09/20 MCAULEYMULIMEDIA..The scene of a serious house fire in Ballykeel Estate, Ballymena. Pic Steven McAuley/McAuley Multimedia

The blaze happened in the Staffa Drive area of Ballykeel earlier today.

Independent councillor Rodney Quigley said: “This is just heartbreaking. The whole community is just numb.

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“It’s such a terrible tragedy and my sympathies are with the family of the young girl who has died.”

The girl’s death comes just hours after a murder investigation was launched following a separate incident elsewhere in the Ballykeel area of the Co Antrim town.

Donald Fraser-Rennie, A 33-year-old, was found dead in a flat in the nearby Crebilly Road following what police described as a “vicious, sustained and violent beating”.

Mr Quigley continued: “I was talking today after the death of a man in a flat in Ballykeel. Little did I know I would be standing here today after the death of a young girl in Ballykeel again dealing with a tragedy.

“This is just heartbreaking.”

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DUP councillor Audrey Wales echoed those comments, saying: “I would express my heartfelt condolences to the family involved, and my sympathies to the entire community who must be absolutely traumatised by what has happened in the last 24 hours.”

Related topics:BallymenaDUP