Two bodies found after fire at Irish student accommodation in Leuven, Belgium

Two Irish women aged 19 and 22 have died after a fire in an Irish student accommodation in Leuven, Belgium. 

Dace Zarina (19) from Longford and  Sara Gibadlo (22) from Oranmore, Galway, both died tragically after a fire at a student residence in the Belgium city of Leuven this morning

The two students from Galway and Longford are Irish nationals of Polish and Lithuanian descent.

The fire department was at the scene fighting the blaze which broke out at 6am causing extensive damage to the building.

Eight students escaped from the building with six of them understood to be Irish.

Dace and Sara were both second year students studying a Bachelor of Business degree in Hotel and Catering Management in GMIT’s main Galway campus.

They had just commenced a 30 week Erasmus work placement in the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe in January.

Dace and Sara were both Irish nationals; Dace’s family originally came from Latvia and Sara’s from Poland.

They were the only two GMIT students on placement in the Belgian college.

Head of the GMIT College of Tourism and Arts Cait Noone, says “GMIT is devastated.

"Dace and Sara were very talented young students.

"They were both bright, creative young girls. It’s a huge loss.”

SOURCE-IRISH MIRROR