Twelve people taken to hospital following Dungannon house fire

A house fire in Dungannon which resulted in 12 people being taken to hospital is being treated as arson.

A man (37) and a women (70) are fighting for their lives, while two children are in a stable condition.

Police officers who helped rescue them from the property in the Cunninghams Lane area have been treated for smoke inhalation.

A man found on the roof of the house meanwhile has as been arrested.

PSNI District Commander, Superintendent Peter Stevenson said "Our colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service contacted us just after 8.30pm to advise that they were turning out to a report of a house fire with children trapped. "

"Officers immediately made their way to the scene, arriving prior to Fire Service colleagues. The property was seen to be well alight, and as such, knowing that the residents were still inside, officers obtained ladders from neighbouring properties and used them to rescue four people. A fifth person was found on the roof, and brought to safety."

"Fire Service extinguished the blaze, which has caused extensive damage. "

"The four people rescued were taken to hospital. A man aged 37 and a woman aged 70 remain in a critical condition, while two children, aged 7 and 10, are in a stable condition."

"The person on the roof, a man aged 21, was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. He remains in custody at this time."

Superintendent Stevenson continued "Eight local policing officers were taken to hospital for treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation. Thankfully, all were released in the early hours of the morning."

"While I am extremely proud of their actions, my thoughts, and those of all of us in the Police Service, are with those who remain in hospital today."

"We want to thank the residents of Cunninghams Lane for their assistance with this terrible incident, which was undoubtedly traumatic for all involved. The community will continue to see the presence of the emergency services in the area throughout today, as we proceed with our investigation into the cause of this fire."

Meanwhile, at press conference later, pride was expressed in the group of police officers who rescued two adults and two children from a burning house in Co Tyrone.

Two adults are critically ill in hospital following the blaze at a house in the Cunninghams Lane area of Dungannon on Monday night, while the two children were described as being in a stable condition.

PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said they can confirm the fire was started deliberately.

"Police were the first emergency responders to arrive on the scene and when they did arrive the house was already well alight," he told media at a press conference at police headquarters in Belfast.

"Our officers obtained two ladders from neighbouring properties and were able to rescue an unresponsive 70-year-old woman and a young child from the rear of the property. A number of the officers then very bravely entered the house and brought the second child and a 37-year-old to safety. The adults remain in a critical condition in hospital whilst the children, thankfully, as we understand it, are presently in a stable condition.

"We can confirm that this fire was started deliberately. It's hard to comprehend that mindless cruelty of the kind of this act and the panic and fear it caused to those in the home is absolutely unimaginable."

Mr Singleton said eight officers were also taken to hospital after the fire.

"I'm extremely thankful that our colleagues were released in the early hours of this morning following treatment, and although they're still suffering from the effects from smoke inhalation and will be absent from work for a period of time, they are thankfully, all ok," he said.

"We're extremely proud of what our officers did at the scene last night and we want to put that on the record. At a time when we're advertising police recruitment for new officers, their actions serve as a very powerful demonstration of what policing here is all about."