Police provide an important update on the cause of the fire on Russell Island near Brisbane as they search the charred remains of the house
Police provide an important update on the cause of the fire on Russell Island near Brisbane as they search the charred remains of the house
- Autopsies performed on the six victims
- Only two people survived the tragedy
Autopsies have been performed on the six victims of the Russell Island fire tragedy, but officials warned it could take several weeks to determine the cause of the blaze.
The news came when police took gas canisters from the scene of the disaster.
The victims were Wayne Godinet, 34, along with his four-year-old twins Kyza and Koa, his three-year-old son Nicky, and his stepsons Zack, 11, and Harry, 10.
They died after being trapped in their burning house in south-east Queensland early Sunday morning.
The boys’ mother, Samantha Stephenson, 28, and her sister Connie Campbell, 20, fled to safety and survived.
Samantha Stephenson (right) mourns the tragic death of her partner Wayne Godinet and her five sons. The couple is pictured with twins Kyza and Koa
A police officer is pictured removing a gas canister from the scene of a tragic fire in Queensland
“The autopsy has been completed … some preliminary results have come back today,” Detective Andrew Massingham told police. Courier Mail.
“I’ll wait the rest of the day for the final determination.”
Neighbors recalled seeing Mrs. Stephenson run out screaming “my kids, my kids,” as her partner ran back into the inferno to save the five boys sleeping upstairs.
A heartbroken Ms Stephenson has urged every parent to ‘check your smoke alarms and hold your babies’.
She is not yet ready to speak publicly about the tragedy, but has thanked the community for the support.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the investigation into the fatal fire could take weeks.
“These investigations are incredibly complex and difficult, so while the community and I think a lot of people are hoping that we have a solution in the next day or two, that may not be the case,” she said.
Ms Carroll revealed that police spoke to Ms Stephenson about what had happened.
“You can’t describe what it’s like for a mother to have to go through what she’s been through,” she said.
Meanwhile, fundraising platform GoFundMe has issued a warning about fraudulent pages attempting to exploit the tragedy for financial gain.
“We have activated the GoFundMe crisis response team and they are actively monitoring the platform for all fundraisers related to the incident,” the organization said.
“This dedicated team will consistently monitor, review and authenticate all fundraising campaigns.”
The gutted Russell Island home where six people lost their lives remained a crime scene on Wednesday
Distraught friends and neighbors placed flowers, cards, footballs and teddy bears at a growing shrine outside the gutted Russell Island home