15/08/2002

'Lucky escape' for five people in house fire

An 18-month old baby was among five people who escaped a fire in a house in County Londonderry in the early hours of this morning.

By the time emergency services arrived at the scene, all five people were safely out of the house, having been helped in their escape by neighbours.

The alarm was raised at around 2.45am and it is believed that a burning chip pan was the source of the fire at the house at Joyce Court in Ballymagroarty.

The baby and three other people were rescued by a neighbour using a ladder, while the fifth person escaped through a downstairs window.

Fire Officer John Moran said they were all "very lucky" to get out safely.

"When we arrived the kitchen was well alight and the rest of the house was smoke-logged."

He said that considering the house was full of smoke and the occupants had inhaled smoke, they were very lucky to have escaped the house fire.

The baby and a 15-year-old girl were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

(GMcG)

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