Murder probe after Omagh house fire

A house fire which killed seven members of the same family in Northern Ireland is now being treated as murder.

Arthur McElhill, his partner Lorraine and their five children were killed in the end-of-terrace house in Lammy Crescent, Omagh. Police say they've found petrol inside the building.

Neighbours heard screams coming from upstairs rooms and at one stage a ladder was pushed against the front of the house in a desperate attempt to get them out.

But it was the ferocity of the blaze which shocked firefighters who had virtually no chance of rescuing anybody and left forensic experts checking the debris for clues as to the cause.

Their bodies have now been recovered.

Detective Chief Superintendent Norman Baxter, who heads the PSNI's serious crime squad, set up a special investigation team under a detective superintendent to establish "if there were any untoward circumstances".

He refused to comment on rumours there had been a commotion involving Mr McElhill and his partner before the fire started or that police had been called to the house previously.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

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