Estate in shock as girl dies in house fire just hours after man was murdered

In one of the incidents yesterday evening, a girl died following a house fire in Staffa Drive, in the Ballykeel area of the Co Antrim town.

Just hours earlier, a man’s body was found in a flat in the nearby Crebilly Road.

A murder investigation was launched into the death of the 33-year-old man found in the flat, who was named by police last night as Donald Fraser-Rennie.

Police said he was the victim of a “vicious, sustained and violent beating”.

TUV MLA Jim Allister said: “Within hours of a murder in the Ballykeel area of Ballymena the estate has been plunged into fresh sorrow with the tragic death of a young girl in a house fire.”

Three fire appliances attended the blaze at Staffa Drive but, despite community efforts to rescue the young girl she sadly lost her life in the fire.

Mr Allister added: “To hear of this young girl’s death is devastating. The community rescue efforts were commendable but, alas, to no avail in respect of the child.“

Independent councillor Rodney Quigley said: “This is just heartbreaking. The whole community is just numb.

“It’s such a terrible tragedy and my sympathies are with the family of the young girl who has died.”

He added: “I was talking today after the death of a man in a flat in Ballykeel. Little did I know I would be standing here today after the death of a young girl in Ballykeel again dealing with a tragedy. This is just heartbreaking.”

DUP councillor Audrey Wales echoed those comments, saying: “I would express my heartfelt condolences to the family involved, and my sympathies to the entire community who must be absolutely traumatised by what has happened in the last 24 hours.”

TUV councillor Matthew Armstrong said: “My heart goes out to the distraught and devastated family. I’ve no doubt the tight-knit community in Ballykeel will rally round.”