A 38-year-old man is dead and two others are fighting for life in hospital after a suspected arson attack on a home in Hope Island, on Australia's Gold Coast. The fire broke out shortly after 11:30pm on Tuesday local time at a residence on Sickle Avenue.
Fire and rescue response
Emergency crews arrived to find the house extensively damaged, with one side of the building collapsed and flames billowing from the roof. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control within an hour, despite the rapid spread of the fire.
The Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed that a 38-year-old man was declared dead at the scene. Two other men, aged 44 and 84, were rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in life-threatening condition, suffering burns to their head, chest, back, arms, and legs. A 59-year-old woman was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition with back, hip, and leg injuries. Another man, aged 38, escaped uninjured.
Suspected arson investigation
According to the Daily Mail, authorities believe the home was deliberately targeted, and the culprit is thought to be the man found dead at the scene. A crime scene has been declared, and police and fire crews are investigating. Neighbour David Da Silver told the Mail he saw smoke and five police cars near the property at around 2am, with the street blocked off. He told the Courier-Mail: "There was a lot of screaming (coming from the house in recent days)."
A local who helped the victims said they were "shaken up" and emerged from the home in their underwear, unaware of what had happened. Queensland Police are appealing for anyone with information, CCTV, dashcam footage, or other vision from the area to come forward.
