Woman charged with three counts of murder over Toowoomba house fire

A mother has been charged with murder after a horror house fire in which three of her children died.

The 36-year-old woman had been airlifted to a Brisbane hospital in a critical condition and placed under police guard after the family home went up in flames.

Neighbours helped six people escape the Toowoomba home, west of Brisbane, when it burst into flames in the early hours of May 7.

Police at the scene of the fatal house fire in Toowoomba.Credit: AAPIMAGE

A body, believed to be the woman’s nine-year-old son, was found in the charred remains.

Two of the woman’s daughters, aged four and seven, later died of their injuries after being airlifted to a Brisbane hospital.

A 34-year-old man – the father of some of the children – and the woman’s two other sons, aged 18 and 11, managed to escape the fire.

The man underwent surgery for serious arm injuries, while the 18-year-old and 11-year-old were treated for minor injuries.

The mother, who was located outside the burning house, remains in hospital in a critical condition, police said on Tuesday.

She has been charged with three counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and one count of arson.

“Police are not looking for anyone else in connection to this incident,” a police statement said.

The matter is expected to be mentioned in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday and adjourned to a future date.

AAP