MAN DEAD, TWO IN HOSPITAL AFTER FIRE AT GOLD COAST HOME

One person died and two others were hospitalised in life-threatening conditions following a fire at a residential property on Sickle Avenue in Hope Island on Australia's Gold Coast on Tuesday night. Emergency crews arrived at the address shortly after 11.30pm local time to find the house well alight, with one side of the building collapsing as flames spread through the structure. Firefighters brought the blaze under control within an hour, though the house was extensively damaged. According to authorities, the fire is believed to have been started deliberately.

The Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed that a 38-year-old man was assessed by paramedics and declared dead at the scene. Two further men, aged 44 and 84, sustained burns to their head, chest, back, arms and legs and were taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in life-threatening conditions. A 59-year-old woman was admitted to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition with back, hip and leg injuries, whilst a 38-year-old man escaped uninjured. Police and fire crews declared the property a crime scene to investigate the circumstances.

A neighbour, David Da Silver, reported observing smoke and five police vehicles near the property at around 2am, with emergency crews blocking off the entire street. He told local media he had heard "a lot of screaming" from the house in the days preceding the fire. Authorities believe the man found dead at the scene was responsible for starting the fire. The investigation remains ongoing.