A child has died following a house fire that erupted at a home on Northcote Avenue in Swansea, Lake Macquarie, on Thursday afternoon. Emergency services were alerted to the blaze around 1:30 p.m.
According to NSW Police, a woman in her 80s and two young children were inside the residence when the fire started. Firefighters located one child unresponsive inside the home, and the child could not be revived.
Another child, aged five, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The elderly woman was transported to John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition, suffering from burns. A teenage boy who attempted to enter the burning building was also taken to the hospital with significant lacerations to his leg.
Fire and Rescue NSW crews remained on scene as of 5:15 p.m., and road closures were in effect in the surrounding area.