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23 Feb 2026
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23 Feb 2026
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A 22-year-old Longford woman has died in a fire at student accommodation near the Irish College in the Belgian town of Leuven.
The woman has been named as Dace Zarina, a former student of Mean Scoil Mhuire in Longford town.
Another female student Sara Gibadlo, 19, from Galway also died in the blaze. Both are believed to be of eastern European origin.
The fire is thought to have broken out around 6am this morning and took local fire units over three hours to extinguish. Eight other students, including six from Ireland, managed to escape from the building.
Authorities in Leuven have started an investigation into the cause of the fire. The Irish Embassy in Brussels has been informed so that the families of the two women can be contacted.
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