It was a Sunday evening when neighbours on a usually-quiet residential street in a Sydney suburb were awoken with the sounds of exploding glass only to find huge orange flames pouring out of a nearby bungalow.
Minutes later young children were seen clambering out of the inferno, reportedly telling terrified onlookers ‘dad tried to kill us’ before it dawned on those watching the living nightmare unfold that there were still youngsters inside.
Good samaritans barged their way into the building in a bid to rescue the remaining children but despite their best efforts, three of the children did not survive.
An Australian father-of-seven is now facing a triple murder charge after he allegedly barricaded the doors and set fire to his house in Lalor Park in Sydney, New South Wales, with his terrified young family locked inside.
Emergency services who scrambled to the scene tragically found the body of a five-month-old baby girl inside the inferno while two boys – age two and six – who were rescued by their hero neighbours died shortly after being taken to hospital.
The other four children, aged between four and 11 miraculously managed to escape the burning building with the help of a neighbour who ‘very courageously’ forced his way into the blaze to rescue two of the kids and their mother.
One of the children allegedly had to be ‘wrestled’ from the arms of their father – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – as he refused to let go of his grasp during the incident that took place around 1am local time on Sunday.
The youngsters who survived the devastating fire were rushed to hospital alongside their 28-year-old mother and now in a stable condition.
Their father, 29, remains in Westmead hospital and has now regained consciousness after being placed in a induced coma.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves across Australia, severely affecting all of those who witnessed the scenes of horror unfold.
The home is now a shell of its former self, with windows bare without their glass and black ash surrounding the frames of the house.
One neighbour, who asked not to reveal her real name over safety fears, was still shaking days later as she recalled the horrendous ordeal.
The woman told the BBC that she ‘blames herself’ from the deaths of the children living across the street from her after not noticing the inferno sooner. ‘We feel ashamed,’ she said. ‘We didn’t know there was a baby inside.’
She tried her best to comfort the children and keep them warm during the cold night as one of the little boys told her bluntly ‘he tried to kill me’. The younger child, just four-years-old, innocently ‘kept asking whether his toys would be safe inside’.
A rescuer later recalled a similar comment from one of the young survivors who said ‘dad tried to kill us’.
The father did not appear on screen at Parramatta Local Court today where he faced a slew of charges.
The man, who was ordered not to contact any of the survivors, was charged with three counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder and destroying/damaging property with intent to endanger life.
He will remain in hospital under police guard for the time being and has been refused bail.
Police also took out an AVO on behalf of the woman and the children who are alive.
This will prevent the accused of contacting his alleged victims, going within 500m of where they live or work or approaching any school or childcare centre they attend.
‘Police will allege this man is solely responsible for setting fires inside the premises,’ New South Wales detective superintendent Daniel Doherty told a news conference after the court hearing.
Supt Doherty speculated that a domestic dispute may have led to the ‘horrendous murderous act’ .
Police will allege that the father is ‘solely responsible for setting fire’ inside the home and used accelerant throughout the home, creating an ‘explosive situation’.
He added that most of the children had been the accused man’s biological children, ‘they are his family, they are his kids,’ the detective said. ‘It’s not something that I will forget about very quickly,’ he added.
Today, the heartbroken mother returned to the tatters of her home after being released from hospital. She is now helping recount the terrifying ordeal to police officers and investigators.
Those within their shocked neighbourhood have been clubbing together to try and provide as much support for the family as possible, both financially and in terms of somewhere to stay.
Detective Doherty praised the local community for their help in saving the children and continued support for the family.
‘Out of these tragic circumstances we see that good people rise to the surface and they’re getting as much assistance as I can,’ he said.
As the father allegedly tried to hinder the work of the emergency services, a Good Samaritan neighbour went into the fire to save the children.
‘They (allegedly) had to wrestle with this man and wrestle the (11-year-old) boy from his grasp because he was holding on to him,’ Detective Doherty said.
‘The boy was rescued and then man was after some resistance and was arrested as well.’
Neighbours had told Daily Mail Australia that all three front rooms of the home were engulfed in flames before a powerline sparked and snapped away from the house.
Forensic teams poured over the charred property for evidence as daylight broke on Sunday, with the tiny baby’s body being removed.
Bouquets of flowers and candles have now been left outside the property in tribute to the children who lost their lives.
One message someone left alongside a bouquet of flowers read: ‘May you rest in peace sweet innocent children.’
The mother and four remaining children are expected to make a full recovery after spending time in hospital.
NSW Police Acting Superintendent Jason Pietruszka said: ‘It’s devastating, there’s no other word for it. It’s devastating for the community, the other kids who go to school with the children.’
He added that the heroic actions of neighbours trying to get into the house led to more lives being saved than lost.
Police have been interviewing a number of witnesses who have come forward after the incident as investigations into the blaze remain ongoing. Anyone with information has been urged to get in touch with the force.
The father was refused bail and will appear before Penrith local court on September 6.