Seven rescued after blazing couch fills homes with smoke

SEVEN people who were rescued from a toxic-smoke filled apartment complex were lucky to escape with their lives, a senior fire officer has said.

Gardaí are investigating the circumstances surrounding the suspicious blaze on Cork’s Shandon Street over the weekend.

The alarm was raised at 4.28am on Saturday when flames and smoke were spotted coming from an enclosed laneway at 115 Shandon Street — located at the top of the historic hill.