Pair remain in serious but stable condition after Mallow fire

A man and woman injured in a fire in north Cork which claimed the life of two men remain in a serious but stable condition in hospital as gardaí continue with their investigation to try to establish the cause of the blaze.

Christopher Palmer (37) and Rachel Crawshaw (27) remain in intensive care at Cork University Hospital after they suffered severe smoke inhalation during the fire at an apartment in the Granary Court complex in Mallow on Wednesday night/Thursday morning.

Mr Palmer and Ms Crawshaw were rescued from the smoke filled top floor apartment by Garda Liam Phillips and Garda Caitriona O'Sullivan but Mr Palmer's brother, John, and their friend Greg Lonergan both perished in the blaze.

Mr Palmer and Ms Crawshaw remain too ill to be interviewed by gardaí but the investigation under Supt Pat McCarthy of Mallow Garda Station is continuing as officers continue to try to establish the cause of the blaze.

Garda technical experts took a number of samples from what they believe were three or four seats of the fire where they believe the fire started and these have been sent to the National Forensic Laboratory to establish if any accelerant was used to start the blaze.

Gardaí say they are keeping an open mind on the cause of the blaze but are perplexed by the fact that there was no sign of forced entry or any incendiary device being thrown into the flat but yet there are three or four seats to the fire which is unusual in the case of accidental fires.