Father sets home on fire, killing himself and 5 children in Washington - police

Father sets home on fire, killing himself and 5 children in Washington - police

2011-04-28 06:05:35 GMT+7 (ICT)

VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON (BNO NEWS) -- A Washington man is believed to have set fire to his own home, killing himself and his five children on Easter morning, local authorities said Wednesday.

Tuan Dao, 37, of Vietnamese descent and from Vancouver, Washington, on Sunday set fire to his home with an explosion caused by liquid fuels at around 1:30 a.m. local time, killing himself and five of his children as they slept in the living room.

Twenty members of the Vancouver Fire Department rushed to the scene, and at around 2 a.m. local time, the flames were controlled. However, the fire had already caused extensive damage and killed the six people inside.

According to several media reports, Dao had been troubled by financial and marital problems, as he had recently split up with his wife. Records showed that the couple had filed for bankruptcy last year with a credit card debt of $158,000. In addition, they owed $262,000 on their home.

The children killed in the fire were identified as Nathan, 6; Samantha, 8; Nolan, 12; and nine-year-old twins, Noah and Jacob. Dao's wife, Lori Dao, and their sixth child were not at home during the incident.

All of the fatal victims had fire-induced skull fractures due to the sudden exposure of the flames.

According to local authorities, current investigations identified Tuan Dao as the only possible suspect in this incident with no information showing other outstanding suspects.

The investigation includes a neighbor's surveillance footage, which shows a vehicle driving into the house's driveway around one hour before the explosion was heard.

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