THE FAMILY OF an American woman who died following a house fire in Limerick yesterday are flying to Ireland today to help identify her body, garda sources said.
The woman, aged in her mid 20s, was a native of New York and had been living in Dublin for the past number of years.
The body of the former University of Limerick media student was found by firefighters in a bedroom on the second floor of a three-storey detached at The Oaks, Riverbank, Annacotty.
The property was destroyed in the fire in the early hours of Monday morning.
Sources said it’s believed the fire was caused as a result of an electrical fault involving a mobile phone charger.
It’s also believed the fire started in the bedroom where the body was found.
The deceased sustained fatal and catastrophic burn injuries in the fire. The body has not yet been formally identified and members of her family are traveling to Limerick today to provide a DNA sample as part of the identification process.
According to garda sources, the woman had travelled to Limerick with a female friend for the bank holiday weekend and had booked accommodation in a hotel in the city.
She was one of 12,000 other competitors who participated in the Barrington’s Hospital Great Limerick Run the day before she died.
According to garda sources, on the night of the fire the deceased had lost her hotel room key and stayed over with college friends in Annacotty.
Three member of the UL Bohemians rugby team and a woman who were in the house in Annacotty managed to escape the fire uninjured.
Tony Quilty, PRO, UL Bohs, said: “All our thoughts are with the boys, and with the young lady who died and her family.”
Local Fine Gael councillor Marian Hurley, said the community had been “rocked” by the tragedy.
Gardaí, who are not releasing the deceased’s name until after the body has been identified and all family members notified, have ruled out foul play.
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