Three people jump from top of burning building

Three people were forced to jump from the top of a burning building in Cork city in the early hours of this morning.

The fire broke out in a three-storey apartment block beside the Franciscan Well on the North Mall at around 12.30am.

Four people were rushed to Cork University Hospital, one of whom is in a serious condition.

Six units of the fire brigade spent two-and-a-half hours battling the flames, which severely damaged the first and second-floor apartments in the building.

The scene has since been sealed off for technical examination.