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Man dies following fire in flat

David WilsonBBC News NI
Aodhán Roberts A fire appliance is parked in the middle of the road as a firefighter gathers items from an open area near the back of the vehicle. The front od a rapid response ambulance is visible in a parked area beside a number of cars.Aodhán Roberts
Emergency crews responded to fire at a property in Bloomfield Park

A man in his 60s has died following a fire at a flat in Londonderry.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) was called to the blaze in Bloomfield Park in at 15.39 BST on Wednesday.

Five fire appliances were sent to the scene, and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used three hose reel jets and one jet to extinguish the fire.

The NIFRS said the incident was dealt with by 18:16 BST and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A post-mortem examination will take place, police said, adding officers remain at the scene with enquiries into the fire ongoing.

Ambulance crews and police also attended and a police cordon remained in place on Thursday.

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said there is a "real sense of shock and sadness" in the local community following the man's death.

"Losing a loved one in such tragic circumstances is unimaginable, and I know the local community will support his family and those closest to him in the days and weeks ahead," the SDLP MP said.

He also paid tribute to the emergency services.

"They do an incredibly difficult job, often in the most challenging circumstances, and our community relies on them at moments like this," he said.

In a statement, DUP Foyle MLA Julie Middleton described the man's death as "devastating".

"My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

"I pay tribute to all those emergency workers who attended this terrible incident and ask that anyone with any information pass it on to the PSNI."

'Shocked and stunned'

Sinn Féin councillor Sandra Duffy said the entire community of Galliagh was "shocked and stunned".

The victim, Duffy said, would "do anything for anyone".

"He was so kind-hearted, the local community are so sad. We are sending all our love and support to his family. My heart is sore for them," she said.

The NIFRS said its thoughts and sympathies are with the man's family at this time.

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said they dispatched a rapid response paramedic and an ambulance officer to the incident, but no one was taken from the scene.