// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Murder investigation launched into deaths of four people in house fire
A man, a woman and two children are dead following the fire on Birch Avenue
A murder investigation has been launched following the deaths of four people after a house fire in County Waterford, Gardaí (Irish police) have said.
Two children and two adults - a man and a woman - died following the blaze on Birch Avenue, on the outskirts of Waterford city, shortly after 05:00 local time on Tuesday.
Two other children have been critically injured and they are being treated in hospital.
Gardaí said they were investigating the fire as arson and appealed to anyone who was in the vicinity in the early hours of Tuesday to contact them.
Waterford Fire Service said it was alerted to the fire at 05:13 local time and its crews arrived to a well-developed fire at a two-storey house.
It said a number of casualties were removed from the house before the blaze was extinguished and the scene was handed over to gardaí.
Gardaí have set up an incident room at Waterford Garda Station and a senior investigating officer had been deployed to the incident.
Sinn Féin's David Cullinane, who knew the family, visited the scene on Tuesday
The housing estate is just off the Killure Road, about 3km (1.8 miles) outside Waterford city centre.