A woman and six-year-old child have died in a fire in western Sydney

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A woman and a six-year-old child have died in a house fire in Sydney’s south-west. Eight other people escaped the blaze which engulfed the home overnight.

Transcript

00:00An investigation has commenced into the circumstances surrounding a fatal house fire here at Heckenburg

00:08in Sydney's southwest overnight.

00:10Emergency services were called to the home on St John's Road just before 1am following

00:16reports of a fire.

00:17On arrival they found the home well alight and faced significant fire activity with flames

00:23bursting through the windows.

00:26After eventually extinguishing the blaze after more than an hour and a half, emergency

00:30crews were able to enter the property where they found a 46-year-old mother and her six-year-old

00:36daughter deceased.

00:37They are yet to be formally identified.

00:40A further eight people, including four children, managed to escape from the property.

00:45They were treated by paramedics with three people taken to hospital, two of which were

00:49in a critical condition including a man and a younger child.

00:54They who have serious injuries including burns to their airways.

00:58Neighbours have described the scene as incredibly chaotic and distressing as people attempted

01:02to flee from the burning property.

01:04We heard screaming from like everyone started bolting out of the house apparently into the

01:11backyard and then as soon as I seen flames like my neighbour's yard in full flames so

01:18like it wasn't full ball yet but it just started like in around the palm tree so like

01:24spread to the palm tree came up and it was like a small grass fire.

01:29Fire and Rescue have praised the efforts of neighbours as they attempted to save people

01:33who were attempting to get out of the property with them commenting on the bravery that they

01:38showed in these trying circumstances.

01:40It goes to show you know the tremendous people we have in our society people that are members

01:45of the community that just put themselves at risk to help people in their greatest time

01:49of need.

01:50That would take tremendous courage and I can't speak highly enough of those actions.

01:54Investigators are expected to be here throughout the day as they pile through what's remains

01:59of this home and search for the cause of this fire that engulfed the home in less than five

02:06minutes according to some neighbours.

02:08There's no indication as to yet what caused this fire as they search for answers.

02:15For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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