Probe continues into blaze which claimed three lives
Gardaí were tonight continuing to investigate the cause of a house blaze which claimed the lives of a couple and their young daughter in Waterford city.
Brian and Johanna O’Reagan and their 18-month-old daughter Niamh were killed when an inferno gutted their home in the early hours of the morning.
It has emerged the couple, both 31, saved their three other children from the blaze before returning inside their smoke-filled home in search of their baby.
The loving mum was then seen at a window holding her child, but could not throw her to safety.
A garda technical examination of the scene is ongoing to try to determine the cause of the fire. Post mortem examinations were also being carried out today.
The couple’s three other children, who were taken to hospital, have since been released and are being looked after by relatives.
Neighbours told earlier how frantic efforts were made to save the couple from the property at Ardmore Terrace in the Ballybeg estate. The fire broke out at about 2.15am.
“Two of the neighbours went to the back of the house with ladders but they couldn’t get in,” a witness said. “The fire was too intense and they couldn’t break the windows because they were all double glazing.
“The gardai did their best but they couldn’t get in.”
The man described how gardai and up to six fire engines attended the scene.
“Seemingly the children got out, then they got the baby out and then the mother and father but it was too late. The baby went to hospital and died later on in hospital.”
Tributes were paid to the couple who had spent yesterday at the beach with their young family.
“They were only a young couple with four lovely children,” the neighbour told RTE radio. “They lived for their children. They were lovely people. They were lovely neighbours, you couldn’t meet nicer.
“No-one knows what happened, no-one could see what happened. The fire was confined to the house but the whole house was completely gutted.”
