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| Seven bodies found in house fire | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Seven bodies have now been found in the debris of a house fire in Omagh, County Tyrone. | |
| Earlier the police confirmed they were treating the deaths of Arthur McElhill, Lorraine McGovern and their five children as a murder inquiry. | |
| The family-of-seven are all thought to have been killed in the blaze on Tuesday. | |
| Detective Chief Superintendent Norman Baxter said the inquiry was at an early stage and appealed for information. | Detective Chief Superintendent Norman Baxter said the inquiry was at an early stage and appealed for information. |
| "This is one of the most tragic and devastating murder inquiries the PSNI has to date had to encounter," he said. | "This is one of the most tragic and devastating murder inquiries the PSNI has to date had to encounter," he said. |
| He said a significant quantity of an accelerant, petrol, had been found in the house. | He said a significant quantity of an accelerant, petrol, had been found in the house. |
| The bodies have not yet been taken from the house at Lammy Crescent. | The bodies have not yet been taken from the house at Lammy Crescent. |
| A senior fire investigator is being flown in from England to assist with the investigation. | A senior fire investigator is being flown in from England to assist with the investigation. |
| Earlier on Wednesday, Fire Service Western Area Commander Eoin Doyle said their priority was finding those people "not yet accounted for". | Earlier on Wednesday, Fire Service Western Area Commander Eoin Doyle said their priority was finding those people "not yet accounted for". |
| He said that additional firefighters were being drafted in to help find the bodies and establish how the fire began, just before 0500 GMT on Tuesday. | He said that additional firefighters were being drafted in to help find the bodies and establish how the fire began, just before 0500 GMT on Tuesday. |
| Prayers were said for the family during a church service | Prayers were said for the family during a church service |
| "We've had the ceilings fall down on top of the belongings and a partial roof collapse, it's going to make it a very slow process for us," he said. | "We've had the ceilings fall down on top of the belongings and a partial roof collapse, it's going to make it a very slow process for us," he said. |
| Mr Doyle said that it had been a "harrowing experience" for the local firefighters and trauma support for the crews had begun. | Mr Doyle said that it had been a "harrowing experience" for the local firefighters and trauma support for the crews had begun. |
| Father Tom McManus, the parish priest in Corlagh in County Cavan where Lorraine McGovern grew up, said they had been a very close family. | Father Tom McManus, the parish priest in Corlagh in County Cavan where Lorraine McGovern grew up, said they had been a very close family. |
| "It's just devastating when you look back at those things, the happy times and the good times," he said. | "It's just devastating when you look back at those things, the happy times and the good times," he said. |
| "They were reminiscing about that the last time we had spoken together - the last time they had visited, at the baptism... it's just horrendous." | "They were reminiscing about that the last time we had spoken together - the last time they had visited, at the baptism... it's just horrendous." |
| The eldest of the five children, Caroline, 13, attended the nearby Sacred Heart College. | The eldest of the five children, Caroline, 13, attended the nearby Sacred Heart College. |
| The other four were Sean, 7, Bellina, 4, Clodagh ,19 months and James, who was nine months old. | The other four were Sean, 7, Bellina, 4, Clodagh ,19 months and James, who was nine months old. |
| Sean and Bellina were pupils at St Conor's Primary School, which was closed following the tragedy. | Sean and Bellina were pupils at St Conor's Primary School, which was closed following the tragedy. |