Five children missing after fire rips through Brisbane house

Six people are missing a fire ripped through a house in Brisbane.
Six people are missing a fire ripped through a house in Brisbane. Photo credit: Quuensland Fire Service

Six people were missing after fire ripped through a house close to Brisbane, Queensland, on Sunday morning, police said.

Five children and a man who lived at the property on Russell Island - about 60 km (37 miles) southeast of Brisbane, were unaccounted for after the blaze engulfed the house in the early hours of Sunday.

"Upon arrival, the house was fully involved and multiple surrounding properties were damaged," police said in a statement.

Queensland Ambulance Service said in a tweet that structures remained on fire and multiple patients were being assessed.

Two people were taken to hospital in a stable condition, it said.

At least 20 fire fighters were battling the blaze, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Investigations were underway to determine the cause of the fire, police said.