SYDNEY, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- A woman died in a house fire in western suburbs of Melbourne in Australia's state of Victoria Thursday morning.
Emergency services in the state of Victoria were called to the three-storey house in Truganina, 20 km west of central Melbourne, at about 2:30 a.m. local time.
Victoria Police said in a statement that a female occupant of the house died at the scene and that the house was completely destroyed.
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said that initial reports suggested two occupants of the house were initially unaccounted for. Firefighters entered the burning property to search for the residents but were forced out by the intensity of the flames.
A police spokesperson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that it was unclear if the second person remained missing.
The ABC reported that it took 13 firefighting crews more than two hours to control the blaze, with part of the home collapsing during the fire and at least one neighboring property evacuated.
Authorities issued a community advice warning for smoke in the area on Thursday morning.
Victoria Police said a crime scene has been established and that an arson chemist will attend the scene to investigate the cause of the fire. ■
