19/03/2002

House fire death believed to be murder

Police have arrested one person as part of a murder inquiry following the discovery of a man’s body in a house in south Belfast.

The body of the 33-year-old man was discovered after emergency services were called to attend to a fire at the house on Camden Street. The blaze, which broke out on Monday afternoon, caused damage to the first floor of the house, which is known to be have been used as a squat.

Det Supt Alan Mains of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said a post-mortem had confirmed the man had suffered severe head injuries before the fire started.

Police have arrested one woman, who is currently being questioned in connection with the death. The dead man’s identity has yet to be established.

A man in his 60s has also died in a house fire in Newry, County Down. Firefighters arrived at the scene of the blaze in Erskine Street in the early hours of Monday morning, but found they were unable to quell the flames. The man was found in the kitchen of the house, and was taken to Daisy Hill hospital, but died a short time later.

(CL)

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