AN elderly Cobh couple who died in a house fire in London had been visiting a sick relative, who also died in the blaze.
The fire broke out at a house on Laburnum Avenue (Pic: Google Street View)
Joe and Anne Whelan from the Tay Road, Cobh, were fatally injured in a fire at the home of Joe’s brother Jim on Laburnum Avenue, in Hornchurch, in the early hours of Monday morning.
The elderly retired couple had gone to London to help Jim, who had been ill and whose wife had died in recent years.
A fire broke out in the house at around 4am and four fire engines and 21 fire personnel from London Fire Brigade battled the blaze.
They rescued the three people from the fire and tried to revive them. However, Anne was pronounced dead at the scene while her husband and brother-in-law were rushed to hospital, but died.
The two men lost their fights for life late on Tuesday. Both were originally from Dublin. Jim had been living for many years in the UK while Joe had spent decades in Cobh, where Anne was a native.
London Fire Commissioner, Dany Cotton, said: “My thoughts and those of everyone at the Brigade are with the friends and family of the three people who have died following the tragic fire in Hornchurch on Monday morning. Firefighters worked extremely hard and did all they could in difficult conditions.”
According to the fire service, the house was mid-terrace and the fire broke out on the ground floor. One local man, who did not want to be named, said the couple were very well known and very well liked locally. Members of their family travelled to London following the fire and maintained a bedside vigil with Joe.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by fire brigade personnel and police.
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