Man dies after falling from bonfire in Northern Ireland
10 July 2022, 09:30 | Updated: 10 July 2022, 10:03
A man has tragically died in Northern Ireland after falling from a bonfire which was over 50ft tall.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The man, believed to be in his 30s, fell from the bonfire in the Antiville estate in Larne, Co Antrim on Saturday night.
The bonfire, made from wooden pallets, is more than 50ft tall and was nearing completion when the fatal incident happened.
It is one of many being built in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland ahead of traditional 'Eleventh Night' celebrations.
The fires are lit to usher in the main date in the Protestant loyal order parading season - the Twelfth of July.
Police and ambulance personnel attended the scene after the fatal incident, which happened just after 9.30pm.
MP for the area Sammy Wilson said the community was in shock.
Read more: UK braces for record-breaking 43C scorcher as heat warning issued
"My thoughts and sympathy are with this man's family," the DUP MP said.
"It is a real tragedy at what is a special time of year for people in the loyalist community.
"The family are well-known in the area, and I am sure this will be greatly felt within the community."
Mr Wilson said he understood that the bonfire would now be removed by members of the community.
Twelfth commemorations in Northern Ireland mark the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne, north of Dublin, in 1690 - a triumph that secured a Protestant line of succession to the British Crown.
