Sad update after deadly house fire
An 84-year-old man, who was one of several people injured in a deadly house fire on the Gold Coast, has died in hospital.
An 84-year-old man is the second person to be killed after a suspicious fire ripped through a Gold Coast home this week.
He was one of several people who were inside the home when the blaze broke out on Sickle Ave, Hope Island, about 11.45pm on Tuesday.
One man was found dead in a bedroom where police say the blaze broke out.
Another two men, aged 44 and 84, were rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital after suffering “significant burns”.
The 84-year-old suffered burns to 50 per cent of his body and was placed on life support. He died on Wednesday.
Good Samaritans helped the two injured men escape by lifting the garage door after hearing their screams, neighbours said.
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Neighbours Meihana Pauling and Eli Bijl-Kakoi told ABC they helped lift the garage door and assist the escape after they heard screaming and ran outside.
“We heard them banging on the inside of the garage door … the front door was on fire, the (garage) was the only way out,” Pauling said.
“We’re just glad they got out, we didn’t realise there was anyone else in there.”
Two other people –a 59-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man – jumped from the upper level balcony to escape the blaze.
The woman was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital with back injuries.
The house’s occupants were known to police after a disturbance was reported last week, Detective Superintendent Chris Ahearn said on Wednesday.
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Two of the occupants were the subject of a domestic violence order which did not prevent them from living in the same residence, he said.
The badly damaged house was declared a crime scene, but the cause of the blaze was still unknown, police said.
Officers have started speaking to some of the survivors as part of their investigation.
“We don’t have any answers as to how the fire started, so we want to get those answers, and we also want to get confirmation as to the identity of the deceased person in the house,” Det Ahearn said.
Police Minister Dan Purdie on Wednesday described the house fire as a “tragic incident for everyone involved”.
Det Ahearn said the fire had been a “very confronting” scene for first responders.
“They did a professional job and did all they could to make sure everyone was accounted for.”
Anyone with information including CCTV or dashcam footage, should contact police.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
-with AAP
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