Four 13-year-old girls were rescued by firefighters from a disused barn in Dunmurry after youths reportedly set blocks of polystyrene on fire and threw them inside.
Wood and stones were also thrown into the barn, trapping the girls inside.
One of the girls managed to contact Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service who attended the scene and rescued the girls from the barn.
The arson incident happened at Mount Eagles Avenue on Monday (13th July) shortly after 8:15pm.
Detective Sergeant Hollie McCartan said the four girls, all aged 13, gained access to a disused barn in the area.
“Thankfully there were no reports of any serious injuries and only minor damage was caused to the barn,” she said.
One of the youths involved is believed to have blonde hair which is shaved at the sides. He was wearing a black top and navy bottoms.
Another youth is believed to have been wearing a green and white top, while a third is described as having been wearing a grey tracksuit with the hood covering his face.
“It is extremely fortunate that we are not dealing with more tragic circumstances following this incident. This was a terrifying ordeal for the girls trapped inside and if they had not managed to contact the authorities, the consequences could have been devastating. The persons responsible showed a complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of those inside,” added Detective Sergeant Hollie McCartan.
She said police enquiries are on-going.
“Our enquiries are continuing and we would appeal to anyone who witnessed anything in the area at this time to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 1819 13/07/20. You can also submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/