Two more children have died after a suspicious house fire in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.
Overnight, a four-year-old girl and seven-year-old girl died at Queensland Children’s Hospital from their injuries.
Neighbours rushed to help people escape the Toowoomba home after it went up in flames in the early hours of Wednesday.
But a body – believed to be a missing nine-year-old boy – was later discovered in the house’s charred remains.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the blaze west of Brisbane, with police treating it as suspicious.
A neighbour said a resident of the home repeatedly yelled a name after escaping before a fourth child was confirmed missing.
The home remained a crime scene on Wednesday as police investigated the fire with homicide detectives called in.
‘Police are treating a house fire … as suspicious,’ Queensland Police said in a statement.
‘At this time, police are not looking for anyone else in connection to this incident.’
The 36-year-old woman and two girls – aged four and seven – were airlifted to Brisbane hospitals and remain in a critical condition.
Two men were taken to a Toowoomba hospital with a 34-year-old in a stable condition with serious injuries while an 18-year-old is believed to have a hand injury.
An 11-year-old boy was uninjured, police said.
“This is a tragic event and we are deeply saddened by this incident,” Detective Inspector Renee Garske told reporters.
