Cause of deadly Queensland fire under 'close scrutiny'

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Police say a deadly house fire on Russell Island at the weekend requires "further scrutiny." They're unable to confirm if the blaze which killed a father and five young boys is suspicious, but are keeping an "open mind" as investigations into the tragedy continue.

Transcript

00:00 An unimaginable tragedy, uniting a small island community in grief.

00:07 We all are in shock at the loss of these lives, particularly the young lives.

00:11 The sorrow and sadness reflected at makeshift memorials.

00:15 Five young lives lost, including four-year-old twins and their father, Wayne Goddarnay,

00:21 who died trying to save them from the inferno.

00:24 He ended up trapped upstairs with all the children when the second story suddenly collapsed.

00:30 I'm lost for words really when it comes to something like little babies as well.

00:35 Their distraught mother, 28-year-old Samantha Stevenson, is being cared for by friends on the island.

00:41 To lose five children, I don't even know how that mother is breathing in and breathing out.

00:46 Her sister also survived the blaze.

00:49 Counsellors are on the ground for the schoolchildren who have lost their friends.

00:54 I just couldn't believe it. I just burst out into tears.

01:00 We're all hurting. It's hard not to feel emotional.

01:05 From the Premier...

01:07 Everyone is feeling their sorrow.

01:10 ...to the police and fire commissioners.

01:12 It is a very, very difficult time for many, many people.

01:15 The hearts of Queenslanders go out to the grieving mother left behind.

01:20 At school, the kids are all crying. They're quite upset.

01:22 The older boys were part of the local soccer community.

01:25 They're really well-behaved children.

01:27 There has not been a bad word said about those young boys.

01:30 And so, you know, they will be very missed.

01:33 Emergency crews have started to retrieve the bodies.

01:36 These scenes are confronting for all of us.

01:39 Police have set up a crime scene but say they're keeping an open mind on whether the fire is suspicious.

01:45 There are some elements of this incident yesterday that do require closer scrutiny.

01:51 The dead father was known to police, but they can't reveal the reasons why.

01:56 For now, the focus is on the mother as she prepares to say a final farewell to her entire family.

02:02 family.

02:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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