Firefighters bring blaze at tower block near Belfast under control

A fire which swept through a high-rise tower block near Belfast has been extinguished.

One person had to be rescued from the fire and a number of other residents were led to safety, the Northern Ireland Fire Rescue Service said.

Paramedics had tended to four patients, a Northern Ireland Ambulance spokesman said earlier.

A fire service spokesman said they received a call to respond to the blaze at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry, near Belfast at 5.32pm on Wednesday.

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Eleven fire engines were sent to the scene and managed to bring the blaze under control by 6.10pm.

The fire service described the the blaze erupting from a flat on the ninth floor of the block of flats as “well-developed” when they first arrived.

The spokesman added: “The prompt intervention of our firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control.”

At the scene by 7.30pm, six fire engines remained along with police cars and ambulances and dozens of residents remained outdoors. Smoke damage was visible to two sides of the building, concentrated around a ninth-floor corner flat.

Local politicians were also seen at the scene, speaking with residents of the high-rise building. The fire service is investigating the cause of the blaze, its statement said.

PA