Mt Isa caravan explosion kills father and two children

AN explosion that shook the entire town of Mt Isa, killing a father and his two young children, is being investigated by police as a possible criminal act.

Murder-suicide investigation after caravan blast

AN explosion that shook the entire town of Mt Isa, killing a father and his two young children, is being investigated by police as a possible murder-suicide.

Charlie Hinder, 39, and his two children, believed to be Nyobu, 7, and four-year-old son River, died in the caravan blast, which shook homes more than 1km away.

Residents described feeling as though the town was under attack because of the deafening sound of the blast and a series of smaller explosions that followed.

EXPLOSION: Mt Isa rocked by blast

The impact from the detonation, thought to be fuelled by at least one 9kg LPG gas cylinder, was so great it smashed windows in nearby homes and caused the house next door to catch fire.

The aftermath of the explosion at Deighton Street, Mount Isa . Picture supplied by Mount Isa Police

Police – including specialists sent from Brisbane and Townsville – were unable to rule out a murder-suicide last night as they continued to work at the scene on Deighton St.

The caravan, which was completely destroyed, was parked in the yard of a home owned by Mr Hinder since 2013. A woman, believed to be the children’s mother, was inside the home at the time.

She was last night released from Mt Isa hospital suffering only minor injuries and severe shock. Police yesterday said it was still unclear why Mr Hinder had been inside the caravan with his two children or how long they had been in there.

Charlie Hinder and his two children were killed in the blast. Pic: North West Star

Police sources declined to confirm reports of a marital break-up and custody battle over the children. “Until we can examine the scene, we are treating the situation with an open mind,” Mt Isa Superintendent Russell Miller said.

He told The Courier-Mail initial investigations indicated at least one of the two gas cylinders on the back of the caravan were thought to be responsible for fuelling the explosion.

The scene of the blast. Pictures: Jack Tran / The Courier Mail

“The caravan is totally destroyed,” Supt Miller said. “There’s nothing left except some smouldering rubble.”

Police established a four-block exclusion zone yesterday, with local residents evacuated from the area, as emergency services worked to contain the scene.

Up to 30 homes were still inaccessible last night, with the local civic centre being used as a community recovery base.

One Mt Isa resident, only known as Steve, claimed the sound was so loud he thought it came from his own backyard. “The first explosion was huge,” Steve said. “It shook our whole house.”

The 67-year-old explained the initial blast, which went off about 7am, sounded “like an automatic weapon going off”. “I thought we were under attack for a minute,” he said.

IF you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 131114, BeyondBlue

1300 224636, MensLine Australia 1300 789978 or Kids Helpline 1800 551800

Queensland forensic investigators inspect the scene. Pictures: Jack Tran / The Courier Mail