NI boy's actions in fire praised

About 70 firefighters were involved in tackling the fatal blaze

The mother of a County Antrim boy rescued in a fire in Edinburgh in which a fireman died says her son's quick actions may have saved lives.

Eoin McGaughey, 11, was staying with relatives in a flat above the Balmoral Bar when its basement caught fire.

Eoin, from Waterfoot, used wet blankets and towels to wrap around their heads and seal the room.

Eoin's mother Kaleena McNeill said Eoin knew what to do thanks to a visit from the fire service to his school.

"Owen had went and got blankets - wet blankets or wet towels - and put them over each of their heads, something that he had learned in school only a couple of weeks ago.

"The fire service had come into the school and were teaching the young people just if they were involved in a fire what the safety measures are," she said.

"And it was through that that he knew to put the wet blankets around their heads.

"So just something so simple as having the fire service visit their school has potentially saved their three lives last night."

Rescue

More than 20 people, including a baby, had to be rescued from the multi-storey tenement block above the Balmoral in Dalry Road.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue (LBFR) said the firefighter died after a floor collapsed on the basement bar.

Another firefighter was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with non-life threatening injuries. He was later released after treatment.

The fire service was alerted at 0038 BST and officers arrived to find a "severe" fire raging in the bar.