Gardaí are investigating the cause of a fire in a building in Co Donegal, part of which is used to house asylum seekers.
The blaze happened overnight at the rear of a licensed premises on the main street in Buncrana.
The fire broke out at around 1am and emergency services rushed to the scene. All occupants of the building were safely evacuated.
However, a number had to be taken to Letterkenny University Hospital where they were treated for possible smoke inhalation.
European political centre may regret borrowing from far-right’s migration playbook
‘Deeply unsettling for everyone’: Fears among undocumented Irish under Trump administration
Ukrainians in Ireland: ‘All of a sudden it’s like you’ve lost interest in us’
Ireland saw record number of asylum applicants in 2024
Gardaí are at the scene of the fire and a technical examination is currently taking place.
They say the results of their investigation will determine the course of any other investigations.
“Preliminary indications are that the fire started and was confined within one room within the building,” a garda spokesperson said.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our In The News podcast is now published daily – Find the latest episode here