12 July 2026 , 09:36
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A man in his 40s has died after falling from an Eleventh Night bonfire in Belfast, police said.
The incident occurred on the Braniel estate in the east of the city on Friday night.
In a statement on social media, the man was named as Warren Lyttle. He was taken to hospital on Friday and died from his injuries on Saturday.
A statement from the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: “Police received a report at 4.40pm today, Saturday 11 July, that a man, aged in his 40s, had died in hospital following a fall at the site of a bonfire in east Belfast.
“Police are investigating the circumstances of what happened, and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland has been informed.”
A statement from the Braniel Bonfire Committee, Braniel Loyal Flute Band and Braniel Community Group said: “Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with Warren’s family, friends and everyone who knew and loved him at this incredibly difficult time.
“As a community, we are heartbroken by this tragic loss and ask that everyone keeps his loved ones in their prayers in the days and weeks ahead.”
The statement said that, after discussions with Lyttle’s family, the fire would be lit as planned on Saturday night.
It said: “We respectfully ask everyone attending to join us in observing a minute’s silence in Warren’s memory before the bonfire is lit.”
A number of the traditional Eleventh Night bonfires were lit across Northern Ireland late on Friday with further pyres being ignited on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
The bonfires are ignited before the Orange Order’s 12 July parades across Northern Ireland on Monday, which mark the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, when the Protestant King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James.
While most of the bonfires pass without incident, several have become the focus of contention due to the placing of flags, effigies and election posters on the structures before they are ignited.
There was widespread condemnation after a bonfire in Moygashel, County Tyrone, which featured a replica of a mosque, was lit on Thursday before police could remove the display. A man appeared in court on Friday charged with incitement to hatred.
Head of Investigations