Fire Claims Two Lives In Co Donegal

Fire crews from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service were last night called out to assist at the Irish Republic's second fatal house fire in days.

District Commander Willie Lynch told the BBC that two bodies were found but because the roof had collapsed a further search wouldn't be carried out until later on Friday.

Mr Lynch said that on arrival, it was feared the occupants of the house, a man and a woman, were still in the house.

"Unfortunately, the house was well alight when we arrived. The roof had collapsed in, all efforts to search for the people were hampered because of the state of the house," he said.

However, two bodies have since been found in the house, with a further search being carried out today to make sure no one else in the house.

The two lives lost are the second fatal house fire in Ireland in the last week.

Three brothers were killed in a Louth fire on Monday morning.

James, Tony and Martin McDonagh were in their Drogheda family home when a blaze gutted the property.

(PR/JM)