Man dies following 'severe' fire at flat

A man has died following a severe early-morning blaze at a mid-terrace property split into two flats, fire officials said.

A woman woken by embers falling into her bedroom from the ceiling raised the alarm after fleeing the ground-floor flat in Winchester Road, Southampton, Hampshire, just before 4am on Saturday.

A 61-year-old man who was brought out by firefighters from the first-floor property was transferred to hospital where he was pronounced dead. His family has been told.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said the woman who survived was taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and followed their exact advice to "get out, stay out, call 999".

A fire service spokesman said: "Crews responded quickly and discovered a severe fire was located in the first-floor flat. They gained entry and quickly located the male resident and brought him out.

"The 61-year-old male was handed over to the care of South Central Ambulance Service and was taken to hospital, but has now sadly been pronounced dead."

All residents of the property were accounted for and an investigation will now take place to determine the cause of the fire, the spokesman added.