Andrew Carey
TWO young children had to be thrown from the first floor of a burning house in Limerick after fire broke out in the their Thomondgate home early this Sunday morning.
Three units of Limerick City Fire and Rescue service were dispatched to the scene on High Road shortly before 6am this Sunday to tend to the blaze.
Five ambulances attended the High Road address to treat the family of five.
Two adults had to pass the young children out of the first floor window such was the extent of the inferno below. The rest of the occupants of the house then jumped out the window after neighbours and passers by assisted in the rescue shortly before the first responding agencies arrived on scene.
One person suffered a broken leg as a result of the impact of the jump.
Firemen, with specialist breathing equipment, from the city fire and rescue service entered and swept the building checking for any one else that may have been trapped by the blaze or smoke.
The fire was brought under control and extinguished a short time later.
All five were initially treated at the scene by emergency paramedics and once stabilised, they were taken to University Hospital Limerick for further treatment.
As gardai at Mayorstone investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire, the scene on High Street remains sealed off but the road is passable to motorists and pedestrians.
