Eight people hurt in flats fire

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Six police officers have been treated for smoke inhalation after a fire at a flat in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of Belfast.

Two other people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. One man was found unconscious in a bedroom by firefighters with breathing apparatus.

The fire, in the Seymour Hill estate, was reported to the police at about 0030 BST on Thursday.

It is being treated as suspicious. One man has been arrested.

Kevin O'Neill, of the Fire and Rescue Service, said when crews arrived they saw large amounts of smoke come out of a first floor flat.

He said police officers had rescued a man from an adjacent flat but had been unable to get into the one which was on fire.

Mr O'Neill said residents were lucky there was a fire alarm and smoke detection system in the building.

"In this case it was the smoke alarms that actually saved the lives of the people in these flats," he said.

All of the police officers have now been discharged from hospital.