Six hospitalised after severe Dublin house fire leaves family trapped

A fire that tore through a family home in Dublin’s Finglas district early Thursday has left six people, including several children, hospitalised, emergency services confirmed. Gardaí, Dublin Fire Brigade and paramedics were on the scene within minutes of the blaze at a semi-detached house on Cashel Road, where the first call came in just after 02:30 local time. Two adults and four children were taken to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown with burns and smoke inhalation; their conditions are not yet being disclosed by medical staff. A spokesperson for Dublin Fire Brigade said the fire was “severe” and had caused “significant structural damage” to the property .

Across the Irish Sea, Dutch authorities reported long tailbacks on the Öland Bridge in Kalmar after a car burst into flames on the southbound carriageway shortly before 08:00 local time. Swedish police and fire crews cordoned off two lanes while foam units extinguished the blaze; the bridge remained open but travel times were extended by up to 45 minutes during the morning peak. “The fire was intense and produced a lot of smoke,” said a Kalmar County Rescue Service duty officer. “We had to close lanes to ensure public safety.” Motorists were advised to use alternative routes via the mainland until further notice .

In Stockholm, a multi-vehicle collision on the E4 motorway near the Essingeleden interchange at 07:42 local time left one person trapped in a compacted car and snarled traffic for more than two hours. Emergency services reported “very significant impact” on rush-hour flows, with tailbacks stretching ten kilometres southbound. Police closed the left lane and dispatched a technical rescue unit; the injured driver was airlifted to Karolinska University Hospital with suspected spinal trauma .

Meanwhile in Harstad, northern Norway, a head-on collision between a passenger car and a delivery truck on the E6 at 06:15 local time left one motorist trapped in the wreckage. Police and air ambulance crews worked to stabilise the casualty before extrication; the road remained closed in both directions for two hours while investigators established the cause .

From Greece, reports emerged of a 19-year-old motorcyclist in critical condition after a collision with a cyclist in Ioannina at 09:20 local time. The young rider was rushed to the University Hospital of Ioannina with life-threatening injuries; the cyclist suffered minor bruising and was discharged the same morning .

In Amsterdam’s Osdorp district, residents expressed shock and anger after an explosion in a ground-floor flat on Wednesday night killed a married couple and injured two others. Neighbours described the blast as “unimaginable” and questioned whether authorities had done enough to prevent such incidents in high-density social housing. The public prosecutor’s office confirmed a criminal investigation is under way .

Across northern Europe, authorities urged drivers to allow extra time for journeys and to monitor real-time traffic apps as holiday-weekend travel begins.