A 23-year-old man has been charged with murder after a fire in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, resulted in the deaths of Natalie McDonald, 34, and her seven-year-old niece, Valentina Foster.
Cleveland Police announced the charges, which also include two counts of section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of attempted section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent. The fatal incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.
The accused is scheduled to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Senior Investigating Officer Katie Smith of Northumbria Police stated, "This has been a truly tragic incident, and my thoughts remain with the families of all those involved."