According to police, a second body was discovered at the scene of the tragic house fire that claimed the life of an 8-year-old girl.
Steph Ryan, who was the babysitter, was initially reported missing after the incident, which happened in the early hours of Sunday in the city’s Bayside Court.
Raven Contini, who was eight years old at that time, was found dead a few days after the incident. On Monday, the police confirmed that the body of a missing 31-year-old man was found in a bush.
A scientific and port-mortem examination will then be carried out on the body to identify it.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Emergency services were called at around 7.15 am on Sunday to a townhouse in Bayside Court in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Thorneside. Upon arrival, the house was fully engulfed in flames.
The girl’s babysitter, who was identified as Steph Ryan from Northern Territory, was not seen after the incident.
It’s believed that Ms Ryan was staying at the house after she had arrived from the Northern Territory on Thursday. In a press briefing, Paul Dalton, a detective from the Queensland Police, said there were grave concerns for the welfare of Ms. Ryan.
Mark Burcher, an acting superintendent with the fire department, noted that investigators were still not able to thoroughly inspect the house due to its unstable condition.
Due to the child’s death in the upper level of the house, the investigators have been given a slow and methodical task in entering the structure. One of the girl’s family friends, who was staying in the garage, was reportedly not home at the time of the fire.
The man, who was the last person seen with the child before the fire broke out, was reportedly cooperative with the investigators.
According to police, they were able to speak with him and he gave them a full and frank explanation. As the investigation continues, Dalton noted that the fire was not suspicious.
While the investigation is still under way, the investigators are still not able to provide a definite cause to the fire.
On Monday, a couple of notes containing drawings of the child were left outside the townhouse. While no other injuries were reported, Inspector Hahne noted that it could take some time for the investigators to arrive at a definitive conclusion.
After reviewing the footage, he said he saw some incredibly brave acts by the bystanders.