GARDAÍ IN Drogheda are examining the circumstances that led to a fire which killed Susan Krings (34), who had returned home from Germany to attend her mother’s funeral.
It was a strange twist of fate as her mother Alicia Krings, who was in her 60s, was found dead in the same house last Tuesday. There were signs that a small fire had begun near her, but it had extinguished itself. It was possible the earlier fire was caused by a cigarette. A postmortem is believed to have found she did not die as a result of the fire.
The substantial fire which killed Susan, reported just after midnight on Saturday, gutted her mother’s semi-detached house at Oakdrive, Termonabbey, Drogheda.
Her remains were recovered from a rear bedroom by a crew from Drogheda fire service.
Gardaí from Drogheda tried in vain to get into the house to rescue her but were beaten back by the ferocity of the flames.
Her sister, who is 37, was also staying in the house and was brought to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
It is believed the fire began accidentally, but a full Garda investigation into what happened is being carried out.
Susan, who had a young family in Germany, had travelled from there with two of her sisters to attend their mother’s funeral. Another sister, who lives in Drogheda, collected them from Dublin airport on Friday.
The families will unite again later this week for Susan’s funeral. It is believed she will be buried in Drogheda beside her mother.