Fire treated as arson to endanger life

A man has been taken to hospital following an arson attack in Antrim.

Police are treating the incident as arson with intent to endanger life.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning at a property on Durnish Road.

Police believe that that the blaze was started deliberately at the door to one of the flats within the property.

A local resident told BBC News NI that a wheelchair user who lives in another flat was rescued.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has confirmed that one person was taken to Antrim Area Hospital.

Emergency services including police, fire service and ambulance service all attended the scene.

Three fire engines were dispatched to the scene after reports of a fire in a residential building at 23:37 BST.

The fire service have said the cause of the fire is believed to have been deliberate ignition and the incident was dealt with by 01:24 BST.

Dt Insp Lenaghan of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said that “significant damage was caused to the property,” including a collapsed roof.

Some damage has also been caused to neighbouring properties.

The officer said that police are “treating this incident as arson with intent to endanger life,” adding that officers remained at the scene on Tuesday morning.

The PSNI have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.