Woman killed in Londonderry fire suffered 'brutal and savage attack', police say

Ch Insp Anthony Kelly said the victim suffered a "brutal and savage" attack

A murder investigation has been launched after the discovery of a woman’s body following a flat fire in Londonderry.Firefighters attended after reports of a fire at a property on Harvey Street at 4.15am on Saturday.The woman, who was found in the bedroom of the ground-floor flat, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ch Insp Anthony Kelly from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) major investigation team said the victim had suffered a "brutal and savage attack".

He said: "At this time, at what are the very early stages of our investigation, we are working to identify the victim who we believe may be aged possibly in her 40s to mid-60s."From our enquiries so far, we can tell you that the victim suffered a horrific attack and sustained multiple injuries."We know this brutal murder has caused great concern, understandably, but we can assure you we are working at full pace to establish what happened and catch those responsible for this heinous and evil crime.

"You will see an increase in police presence in the city in the coming hours and days, and I’m grateful to members of the public for their ongoing support."

He said the preserved scene on Harvey Street remains in place and a post-mortem examination will be carried out to establish the cause of death.

SDLP MLA for Foyle Mark H Durkan said a “major” police investigation was underway after the “harrowing and heartbreaking” discovery.“Our thoughts and prayers are with a family waking to the worst possible news this morning,” he said on Facebook," he said.“Please, please come forward if you have any information at all that might help the police with their investigation.”Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference number 225 24/08/24, on online using the non-emergency reporting form on the PSNI website, or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or on its website.Police are in particular asking those with dash-cam or doorbell camera footage in the area between 2am and 5am to get in touch.

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