Inquest into Irish backpacker death

An inquest into the deaths of Irish woman Julie O'Keefe (24) and 14 other backpackers who were killed in a fire at an Australian…

An inquest into the deaths of Irish woman Julie O'Keefe (24) and 14 other backpackers who were killed in a fire at an Australian hostel will begin today.

The fire swept through the Palace Backpackers' Hostel, in Childers, 180 miles north of Brisbane, in June 2000 - killing 15 people and injuring dozens more.

Fruit picker Robert Long was later jailed for life for deliberately starting the fire at the 100-year-old timber building.

But investigations into the arson attack also uncovered a series of safety breaches, which could have been a contributory factor in their deaths.

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Eighty-seven people were in the hostel at the time of the late-night blaze, despite a local law limiting occupancy to 53 people.

An Australian inquest held last year heard how escape routes were blocked, windows were barred and the main fire alarm was out of order at the time of the fire.

Despite the hostel's poor safety record, the coroner ruled the site's managers, John Dobe and Christian Atkinson, were not so negligent that they should face manslaughter charges.

The pair both avoided questioning after successfully claiming privilege on the grounds that any evidence they gave might incriminate them.

The inquest, which is being held at Flax Bourton Coroner's Court, near Bristol, is expected to last up to two days. No Australian witnesses - including the hostel's owners - will give evidence in person at the hearing.