Australia: Girl dead, woman missing after Queensland townhouse fire

Sydney, Oct 6 An eight-year-old girl died and a woman was missing after a townhouse caught fire in Thorneside, south of Brisbane, in the Australian state of Queensland on Sunday.

Emergency services were called at approximately 7:15 a.m. (local time) to the property following reports that a townhouse was on fire, Queensland Police Service (QPS) said.

The QPS said that emergency services located the body of an eight-year-old girl, and one person, believed to be a woman in her 30s, remained unaccounted for.

No other injuries were reported, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

A crime scene was declared, and investigations were underway to determine the cause of the fire.

The QPS said police, fire and ambulance front liners arrived to find two residential units actively engaged in the fire, which was "burning very hot."

Six local fire crews, including 22 firefighters, battled the blaze to extinguish it at about 8 a.m.

Source: IANS