Horror in Far North Queensland as Apartment Complex Erupts in Flames: One Man Dies in Hospital After Leaping from Balcony to Escape Inferno
- A 51-year-old man has lost his life after suffering critical burns in a devastating apartment fire in Manoora, far north Queensland.
- Neighbours have described the terrifying moment they were forced to jump from their balconies to escape the rapidly spreading blaze.
- Four fire crews battled the inferno, which ripped through two units on the bottom floor of the eight-unit block, with heavy rainfall eventually assisting in bringing the fire under control.
In a heart-wrenching development, the victim, who had managed to escape the burning apartment, died a short time later in hospital due to the severity of his injuries. His neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed the harrowing moment he called out to the badly injured man as he crawled through the burning apartment.
“I woke up to screaming and I couldn’t get down the stairs, so I was forced to jump into the pool,” another neighbour recounted, still shaken by the ordeal. “(The fire) came on so fast, there were some explosions too.”
The fire, which started at the unit on Mahogany St in Manoora about 10:40am on Monday, quickly spread to two units on the bottom floor of the eight-unit block. Fire crews arrived to find the blaze already well involved, but heavy rainfall in the area eventually assisted in bringing the inferno under control by 11:30am.
Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, with preliminary findings suggesting it is non-suspicious. However, the probe is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, neighbours are still trying to come to terms with the events that unfolded. “It’s just devastating,” one resident said. “You never think it’s going to happen to you, but it just shows how quickly things can go wrong.”