The key facts

  • A man aged around 20 and a woman aged around 30 are detained, held at a station in the east of Ireland
  • Kim and Philip English and their children Jayden (9) and Callum (12) died
  • Two other children are in critical condition in a hospital in Crumlin, Dublin

Detentions in the Waterford fire case

Ireland's police (Garda) detained a man aged around 20 and a woman aged around 30 in connection with the suspected arson that killed four members of a family in Waterford. According to BBC News, the detainees are being held at a station in the east of the country.

Victims and casualties

The fire at a house on Birch Avenue on the outskirts of Waterford occurred on Tuesday. Kim English, Philip English and two of their children — nine-year-old Jayden and twelve-year-old Callum — died. Two other children who were in the house remain in critical condition in a hospital in Crumlin in Dublin.

Investigation continues

Post-mortem examinations of the bodies of the four deceased have been carried out, but their results are not being published for 'operational reasons'. Police have appealed to the public to report any information about the 'murderous attack' and to provide dash cam footage.

A house after a fire. Flowers and toys have been left outside. Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Four family members died in the suspected arson attack in Waterford