THREE people have died following separate fires at residential properties in Northern Ireland thus weekend.
Two women, one in her 40s and one in her 50s, as well as a man in his 20s, were all pronounced dead at the scene of the fires.
The PSNI has said it does not currently believe any of the incidents are suspicious.
Incidents
In the first incident, police were notified of a fire in the Queen Victoria Gardens area of North Belfast, Co. Antrim at around 11am on Friday.
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) extinguished the blaze but, sadly, a man aged in his 20s was pronounced dead at the scene.
The second fire occurred shortly afterwards in the Abbey Park area of Bangor, Co. Down at around 12.30pm.
The blaze was again extinguished by the NIFRS, however, a woman aged in her 50s was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the third incident, police received a report of an ongoing fire at a property in the Areema Drive area in Dunmurry, Co Antrim at around 3.55am on Saturday.
A woman, aged in her 40s, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
A man aged in his 50s, a 19-year-old woman, and an 11-year-old girl who were also in the property and were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Officers are continuing to conduct enquiries into the circumstances of the fire.
‘Tragic’
Paul Maskey, Sinn Féin MP for West Belfast, expressed his condolences to those affected by the Dunmurry incident.
“This is such tragic news and my heartfelt thoughts and condolences go out to the woman’s family and friends,” he said.
“I have been in the area today alongside Councillor Séanna Walsh and local residents are understandably shocked and distressed but I’m sure the local community will rally around each other at this difficult time.
“I also want to pay tribute to the emergency services who attended the scene this morning.”