ONE PERSON was rescued from a burning tower block and a number of residents were led to safety after a fire broke out at Coolmoyne House in Dunmurry on Wednesday evening.
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) were called to the blaze at the 14-storey property around 5.30pm as the blaze swept through a number of floors in the building. The flats were evacuated with at least four people being treated by paramedics. A total of nine fire appliances attended the scene with 55 firefighters tackling the blaze as terrified residents looked on. The fire was extinguished at 6.10pm.
It is understood the fire broke out on the ninth floor, started by a faulty toaster, and spread to the tenth floor. Some residents expressed anger and said that they had not heard fire alarms on their floors. But NIFRS Group Commander Geoff Somerville claimed that the fire alarms had worked ‘as expected’.
The local community hall operated by Seymour Hill and Conway Community Association opened its doors for residents of the block.
The fire comes just months after a local councillor in the area sought assurances that the block was safe following the Grenfell Tower fire. The tower block is run by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, which has launched an investigation into the incident.
