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Father, daughter die overnight from blast

All members of a family sleeping in a tent at a Mandurah caravan park when a gas bottle is believed to have exploded have now died, police say.

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(File: AAP)

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Source: AAP


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All three family members involved in a caravan park tent explosion in Western Australia have now died, police say.

The family was sleeping in a tent at a Mandurah caravan park, south of Perth, when a gas bottle is believed to have exploded.

Sixteen-year-old Ben Spies was killed early on Wednesday morning when the blast ripped through his family's tent at the Temperate Caravan Park.

His 13-year-old sister Georgina and their 48-year-old father Brett both suffered severe burns in the explosion and were taken to hospital where they remained in critical condition for most of they day.

However a police spokesman said the two died overnight.

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"The family are, of course, deeply distressed and have asked that their privacy be respected at this time," a spokesman said.

The arson squad is still investigating the exact cause of the blast.

The family had been staying at the caravan park for at least a week as they sought more permanent, rental accommodation.

Witnesses told reporters on Wednesday how they heard a bang, like a bomb going off, and then saw a yellow flame engulf the tent.

"I just tried to find a hose, so that I could help," Tony said.

"We all just tried to put out the fire."

Sharon Doyle, who was staying at a nearby house, said she could hear the father and daughter screaming.

"People were yelling out 'help, help me' ... the daughter was more whimpering," she told reporters.

"It was just horrible. Trying to get those sounds out of your head is hard, even now."


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