An 83-year-old woman has died in a house fire in north Longford.
Gardaí were called to the scene at a house in Abbeylara shortly after 7pm last night.
The woman’s body was found inside after firefighters brought the blaze under control.
It is not yet known how the fire started.
Local Councillor PJ Reilly says the local community has been stunned by the news:
“We learned last night that an elderly lady had an incident in a house fire,” he said.
“This lady was from a farming background and she did live with her brother who [is] deceased [since] last year.
“She lived alone there and it is just unfortunate that such an incident has to happen.”
He urged the public to check in on vulnerable members of the community during the cold weather.
The woman’s body has been removed to Mullingar Hospital for a post-mortem examination and the scene is preserved for technical examination.
