Ex-resident of blaze house: ‘It could have been me’

A former resident of the accommodation where the bodies of two Irish students were found following a fire has spoken of his “shock” and “devastation” at the tragedy.

Karl Magee, 24, from Irishtown, Mullingar, was on college placement at the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe until just before Christmas. He had lived in the house for the past year.

“I’m actually devastated. I just got in from work at 8.30am this morning... my sister showed me a photo of the staff house on her phone and immediately I was in complete shock.