A devastating fatal fire which claimed the life of two people is not being treated as suspicious, police have confirmed.
Emergency services were called to a house on Woodland Terrace, in Darlington, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Firefighters battle the flames and rescued a man in his 70s from the blaze.
He had suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary but sadly died later that day. A woman in her 50s was also rescued from the building but tragically died at the scene.
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Fire investigators could be seen inside the home, which has been destroyed by the fatal blaze, on Sunday.
Now Durham Constabulary has confirmed the fire is not currently being treated as suspicious, TeessideLive reports.
However, an investigation remains ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Floral tributes had been left outside the fire-ravaged home on Sunday.
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters, wearing breathing apparatus, entered the property and proceeded to conduct a search and extinguish the fire using hose reels.
"One male occupant was rescued from the property by fire service personnel and taken to hospital due to his injuries. Unfortunately one female occupant was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
"Later that day, the male occupant who was rescued sadly passed away also. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected by this tragic incident."
A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary added: "Emergency services attended a house fire on Woodland Terrace, Darlington, on Saturday (May 13) at around 5am. Sadly, a woman in her 50s was pronounced dead at the scene.
"A man in his 70s suffered serious injuries and was taken to Royal Victoria Infirmary, but has sadly also died from his injuries. Although the fire is not currently being treated as suspicious, an investigation into the circumstances of the incident has been launched.
"Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the deceased."
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