The bereaved families of those who perished in a Perth hotel fire two years ago are still waiting for answers into the deaths of their loved ones.
The tragedy at the New County Hotel on January 2, 2023, claimed the lives of three people – Donna Janse Van Rensburg (44), her 47-year-old sister Sharon McLean and Keith Russell (38).
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, which is responsible for looking into sudden or suspicious deaths, this week said investigations are still ongoing.
Some Perthshire politicians, however, said frustration over the time it is taking to complete the investigation is understandable.
Perthshire Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: “There seems to be an extraordinary length of time being taken to uncover the reasons behind this tragic incident.
“This can only be adding to the distress of the bereaved families. Two years is a long time to wait for answers.”
And Perth and Kinross-shire SNP MP Pete Wishart said: “Two years on from the terrible tragedy at New County Hotel, my thoughts remain firmly with the victims and their loved ones.
“It is entirely understandable for people to be frustrated about the time it is taking to complete the investigation.
“For the victims’ families, getting answers on how this horrific event was able to happen is imperative in order to bring them some form of closure.
“It is my hope that those involved in the investigation will soon be in a position to provide these answers. I also hope that lessons will be learned from the findings which will see improvements made to hotel fire safety so that such an event is never repeated.”
First Minister and Perthshire North MSP John Swinney, speaking on the matter previously, said: “It is vital that a full investigation is carried out in order to provide answers to the loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives in this incident, and hopefully offer some form of closure.
“It is also crucial that lessons are learned to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again.
“It is my hope that this investigation is proceeding as quickly as possible, and that it will continue to keep the families of the victims updated on their progress.”
A Fatal Accident Inquiry is usually held in the sheriff court in public.
A COPFS spokesperson said: “The Procurator Fiscal has received reports in connection with the deaths of two women, aged 44 and 47, and a 38-year-old man on January 2, 2023, in Perth.
“The investigation into the deaths is ongoing and the families will continue to be kept updated in relation to any significant developments.”
A fire on the second floor of the hotel building was reported to emergency services around 5.10am on January 2, 2023.
Sixty firefighters were among those who raced to the scene.
Police evacuated 16 people from the hotel and two people from the surrounding buildings, with the Scottish Ambulance Service there to treat 11 people for minor injuries.
The fatal incident was the country’s first case of hotel fire deaths in over five years, since the Cameron House fire at Loch Lomond claimed two lives in December 2017.
After the incident, a joint police and fire investigation into the incident took place with nearly 200 people interviewed at that point.
Investigators were to pass on their findings to the Procurator Fiscal who will decide if a Fatal Accident Inquiry should be launched.
The then Perth City North councillor, Brian Leishman, said a year ago that the long wait to see if a FAI will go ahead is “proving painful” for all those affected.
He added: “Families need and deserve answers as part of the healing process.
“The wait is also frustrating for local firefighters who battled the blaze and did so much to save life and building at the incident.
“They also deserve answers, as well as a properly resourced fire service so they can do their job effectively, efficiently and as safely as possible.
“In the last few months Perth has seen a reduction in fire appliances and this makes firefighters’ jobs less safe and in turn makes every community across Perth and Kinross less safe.”
Following the tragedy it was revealed that less than a month prior, a fire safety audit was carried out at the hotel by the Croner Group on behalf of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Twenty-nine issues with the building were raised, including issues with emergency doors, escapes and lighting, with operators ordered to rectify all of them within 28 days.
PKC had previously issued three health and safety warnings to the hotel, highlighting problems with flooring and windows.
Previous guests of the hotel had raised their own concerns about the safety of the building.
Following the horror blaze, then hotel manager Karen Kennedy announced she was undertaking legal action against its owner, Rashid Hussain.
Mr Hussain – who had remained silent following the deaths despite numerous approaches – then passed away on August 12 from natural causes at the age of 59.
Perth Hospitality Limited, a company in which Mr Hussain served as the sole director, was also liquidated.