18 Rescued in Nursing Home Blaze

Firefighters have rescued 18 elderly residents, including a 104-year-old, from at a nursing home near Portadown. The blaze broke out in the kitchen of the Rathowen Nursing Home at about 2245 BST. Firefighter Walter Johnston said most of the residents were still in bed when they arrived to discover a “fairly extensive” fire.

“We were able to rescue all the residents and confine the fire to the kitchen area,” he said. Mr Johnston, group commander of the southern area, said firefighters arrived within 10 minutes of being called. “If we didn’t get there when we did, there was a risk of casualties.”

He said it was caused by an electrical fault.