Three pulled from burning flat die due to smoke inhalation

TWO men and a woman have died after a fire broke out at a block of flats.

Fire crews were called to the fifth-floor flat on Acre Road in the Maryhill area of Glasgow at 11.37pm on Friday.

All three were rescued from the burning building suffering from "severe" smoke inhalation.

They received first aid from firefighters but were confirmed dead at the scene.

Four appliances from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service attended and four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used a hosereel jet to extinguish the blaze.

A joint investigation was under way involving police and Strathclyde Fire and Rescue yesterday.

However, the fire was not believed to be suspicious.

A spokesman for Strathclyde Police said that a report on the fire will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

The blaze follows a series of house fires in the Strathclyde area.

Earlier this month Scotland's top firefighter said that a ten-day period over Christmas had seen an "unprecedented level of tragedy", with five deaths and hundreds of homes destroyed by fire.

The service's chief officer Brian Sweeney said that firefighters had dealt with the highest number of incidents for ten years, with 68 injuries and 250 homes destroyed during the period.