The bodies of a man, woman and teenage girl have been found in a flat in the Northern Irish city of Newry.

Initial reports suggested detectives were treating it as a suspected double murder and suicide but this has not been confirmed by Police Service of Northern Ireland.

“At this stage it would not be appropriate to elaborate further on the circumstances as our enquiries at an extremely early stage,” said Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy.

He did confirm an adult male, an adult female and a teenage girl had been found dead.

“The circumstances of the deaths will now be subject to investigation and post mortem examinations will take place in due course," he said.

Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Show all 12 1 /12 Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Derry, Londonderry A garage door displaying unionism, bolted shut, like a visual representation of Brexit Britain, locked to outsiders, safeguarding what’s inside Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Derry, Londonderry Rossville Street, the site of Bloody Sunday, where messages demand a severance with England. From this perspective, Britain is England in sheep’s clothing, the real empire, the centre of colonial power Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Bangor A political message in paint not yet dry, still forming, setting, adjusting, or in old paint finally eroding, melting away Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Bangor Moral judgement frames a residential view. The message seeks to make everybody involved in the religious narrative: those who don’t believe are those most in debt Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Castlerock The beach is sparse and almost empty, but covered in footprints. The shower is designed to wash off sand, and a mysterious border cuts a divide through the same sand Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Belfast Two attempts to affect and care for the body. One stimulated by vanity and social norms and narratives of beauty, the other by a need to keep warm in the winter night Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Belfast The gate to an unclaimed piece of land, where nothing is being built, where no project is in the making, where a sign demands the creation of something new Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Derry, Londonderry Under a motorway bridge a woman’s face stares, auburn and red-lipped, her skin tattooed with support for the IRA and a message of hostility to advocates of the Social Investment Fund Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Derry, Londonderry The Fountain Murals, where the curbs and the lampposts are painted the red, white, and blue of the Union Flag. A boy walks past in the same colours, fitting the scene, camouflaged Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Coleraine A public slandering by the football fields, for all to see or ignore. I wonder if it’s for the police or for the community Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Belfast A tattoo parlour, where the artist has downed tools, momentarily, bringing poise to the scene, which looks like a place of mourning, not a site of creation Richard Morgan/The Independent Britain Before Brexit: Northern Ireland Derry, Londonderry A barrier of grey protects the contents of this shop, guarding it from the streets outside, but it cannot conceal it completely, and the colours of lust and desire and temptation cut through Richard Morgan/The Independent

It is understood the man, woman and teenager were all known to each other.

Politicians in the area were quick to pay tribute to the victims.

Justin McNulty, a Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Newry and Armagh, said: “Terrible news breaking. This community is in shock and a dark cloud hangs over Newry this afternoon. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased.”

The Democratic Unionist Party member for Newry and Armagh, William Irwin, added: “This is an awful tragedy and I understand Police have commenced investigations into this very concerning discovery. I extend my sincerest sympathy, thoughts and prayers to the wider family of the deceased individuals at this awful time.”

Sinn Fein councillor Charlie Casey also offered his sympathies to the families.