Fire breaks out at high-rise apartment block in Ireland

A fire has broken out at a high rise apartment block in Ireland.

A passerby shared a photo of the Coolmoyne House unit block in Dunmurry, Belfast, to Twitter, the side of the building well alight.

The fire started on the ninth floor before quickly spreading to the tenth, a Northern Ireland Ambulance Service spokesman told the BBC.

He confirmed that paramedics had treated at least four people at the scene.

A local resident, Julie Ann Jackson, said she believed the fire had been brought under control, and that everyone inside had been evacuated early enough to prevent loss of life.

“They go everybody out,” Ms Jackson said.

 She believed only one person, a man, had been taken to hospital.

The apartment block is owned and operated by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the public housing body is investigating the fire.

Ms Jackson said  safety drills had been carried out at Coolmoyne House following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

An estimated 80 people died in the June 14 tragedy in London, but the official death toll has not been confirmed.