A man who suffered serious injuries in a fire at a house in Baile Liam, Spiddal, Co Galway, early yesterday morning has been removed from University College Hospital Galway to Dublin's St James's Hospital for treatment.
The man, who is in his mid-40s, suffered serious burns, while another man was also hospitalised following the fire. A St James's spokesman said he was in a critical but stable condition.
The blaze took place in a two-storey house where a large number of people were staying. The alarm was raised shortly after 4am. Two units of Galway fire brigade were at the scene from about 4.20am until 9am yesterday.
The house was badly damaged. It is thought that more than 10 people were staying there at the time of the fire. Some of those who escaped the blaze are understood to be students who were attending Irish language courses in the area.
Gardaí from Salthill have sealed off the scene to carry out a forensic examination of the house. The two injured men, both in their 40s, were first removed to University College Hospital Galway, and yesterday afternoon the man who suffered more serious burns was taken by ambulance to St James's Hospital.