A 28-year-old father who allegedly set fire to his Sydney home and barricaded his family inside has been charged with three counts of domestic violence-related murder.
His three children, two boys aged two and six, and a five-month-old girl, died at the scene.
Four other children and the man's 29-year-old partner escaped the inferno.
The man has also been charged with five counts of attempted domestic violence-related murder and destroying or damaging property with the intent of endangering life.
Neighbours who spoke to 1News said the man allegedly blocked rescuers from helping save the lives of the children.
"Dad tried to kill us," one of the surviving children allegedly told a first responder.
Residents also said he had allegedly been "acting differently" in the lead up to the incident.
The 29-year-old mother has been discharged from the hospital. Four children, three boys aged four, seven, and 11, and a nine-year-old girl, remain in hospital in a stable condition.
New South Wales Police charged their father after he awoke from an induced coma. He remains under police guard in Sydney's Westmead Hospital.
He will face court later today via a bedside hearing.
SHARE ME