The bodies of a woman and a child have been discovered inside a unit following a fierce fire at a complex in Biggera Waters on Queensland's Gold Coast early this morning. Police received multiple triple-0 calls about the blaze around 1:30am and arrived to find one unit fully engulfed in flames.
Senior Sergeant Brett Macgibbon said officers evacuated residents from neighboring units but could not reach the missing pair. 'The fire was just horrendous when we've arrived — massive flames coming out of all the windows,' he said. Forensic testing will be conducted to confirm their identities.
A man in his 40s was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services deployed six crews to contain the blaze, which caused severe structural damage to half of the eight units in the complex.
QFES Inspector Kerry Cumner noted the intensity of the fire hindered access. 'We gained external access reasonably quick, but we had a bit of trouble gaining internal access,' he said. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Nearby resident Canan Ozcan said the deaths devastated the neighbourhood. Emergency services arrived within 15 minutes but were unable to enter due to the fire's severity. A crime scene has been declared, and investigations are complicated by potential asbestos in the roof.
