Two children have died in a devastating house fire in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales, after the blaze caused the roof of a two-storey home to collapse.
The fire broke out at a property in Bowen Mountain, about 77 kilometres north-west of Sydney, while the family was preparing to relocate to Queensland.
Their father and four other children managed to escape the burning home, while the mother—who was already travelling to Queensland at the time—has since returned to be with her family.
Firefighters arrived at the scene within minutes of the emergency call but found the house already fully engulfed in flames, with parts of the structure collapsing. Crews were forced to take defensive action as conditions made it too dangerous to enter initially.
It took around two hours for approximately 50 firefighters and 12 fire trucks to bring the blaze under control, after which search operations began inside the property. The bodies of the two children were later located on different levels of the home.
The surviving family members were taken to Nepean Hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Authorities said the children in the household ranged in age from three to 16 years.
A crime scene has been established, and investigations are ongoing into the cause of the fire, although police have stated that it is not being treated as suspicious at this stage.
Emergency officials have praised the efforts of firefighters who prevented the blaze from spreading to nearby homes, while support services have been offered to responding crews due to the traumatic nature of the incident.
