An 86-year-old woman has died after being rescued by firefighters from a North East house fire on Monday (January 30).

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) responded to a residential fire at a semi-detached property on Pelham Court in Kingston Park, Newcastle at around 2.24pm.

Three appliances, from Gosforth, West Denton and Newcastle Central Community Fire Stations were deployed, with six firefighters entering the property. 

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After locating the resident, the woman was given emergency treatment at the scene by firefighters until the arrival of the North East Ambulance Service.

However, despite the best efforts of emergency services, the woman passed away from her injuries.

An investigation into the woman's death has been launched following the fatal incident.

Area Manager Paul Russell, of TWFRS, said: “Any death connected to a fire is devastating and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim at this time.

“Our crews were on the scene within minutes of the emergency call and were able to rescue the resident from the property.

“But despite our firefighters and blue light colleagues fighting tirelessly to help save the life of the resident, she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

“A joint investigation into the circumstances around the fire has now been launched by TWFRS and Northumbria Police.

“With any fatal fire in the region we will always look to see if there is anything we can learn to help keep the communities of Tyne and Wear safe from harm.”

Detective Inspector Jason Henry, of Northumbria Police, has paid tribute to the woman - highlighting that officers will work with fire investigators to look into her death. 

He said: “Our thoughts are with the victim and their family at this difficult time.

“We will be looking to begin an investigation into the cause of the fire in the coming days and we will then prepare a report for the coroner.”