Mother, three children killed in Melbourne house fire huddled together

Neighbors heard screams coming from a house where three children and a woman were killed in a horrible fire that broke out in Melbourne overnight.

The bodies of a mother and her three young girls were found inside the remains of the house in Glen Waverley, in the southeast of the city, after a fire swept through the property this morning.

Detective Sergeant Neville Major told reporters that their bodies were found in an upstairs bathroom, and that it appeared they had been “huddled” as flames spread through the house.

Sources have confirmed that the mother was Kaoru Okano.

A man, who according to the police is related to the Japanese family, escaped from hell with severe burns.

“He himself was burned and taken to the hospital,” said Sergeant Major.

“He is currently intubated and cannot help us with our consultations. And we will not be able to speak with him for the next 24 to 48 hours.”

Fire Brigade detectives were still combing the scene this afternoon as police worked to determine the cause of the fire.

“Investigators have been told that the fire started on the Tulloch Grove property shortly after 1.40 am,” Victoria police said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, a woman and three children have been found deceased at the residence and have not yet been formally identified.”

The Sergeant Major said police treated all fires as suspicious “until we can determine that they are not.”

“It’s very tragic and it seems like they had all huddled in the bathroom.”

A neighbor, Alida Soteldo, told NCA NewsWire she was “devastated” by the tragedy that shook the suburban street.

“I woke up at 1.30 am to all the noise of the fire trucks and I went out and spoke with a couple of neighbors on that block, who were evacuated from their apartments,” he said.

“They said they woke up to people screaming, but no one knew there were victims until this morning on the news.”

More than 30 firefighters were called to the scene after witnesses reported smoke billowing from the two-story home.

The fire is believed to have started in a garage on the ground floor and spread throughout the house.

“The house suffered significant fire damage,” Fire Rescue Victoria said in a statement.

“The occupants of neighboring residences were evacuated as a precautionary measure, their properties were also inspected for fire damage.”

Fire Rescue Victoria Assistant Fire Chief Costa Katsikis said his thoughts were with those affected by the “tragic event.”

“Upon arrival they were met with a fierce fire, a high fire load, a very hot fire that tragically ended with the loss of four lives and one person taken to hospital with smoke inhalation,” he said.