Police have now confirmed that five bodies have been recovered from the scene a house fire on the Oneida of the Thames First Nation.
Oneida officials confirmed on Thursday that the bodies of an adult and a child had been recovered, but three other young members of the family were unaccounted for and presumed dead.
On Friday, the Ontario Provincial Police issued a news release confirming the remains of five people were located and removed from the home. The bodies have all been transported to the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service in Toronto. Autopsies are scheduled for Monday.
It’s believed a 43-year-old father and four children, aged 3-months-old to 7-years-old, were killed in the fire.
Firefighters arrived at the home on Townline Rd. around 11am on Wednesday, and found it engulfed in flames. Cold temperatures and winter weather conditions hampered their efforts to douse the blaze.
Police have not officially released the identities of people who perished in the fire, however, Kristen Ireland told reporters on Thursday that the man killed was her brother, Kurt Antone. She said the mother of the family had left to go shopping Wednesday morning while the rest of the family slept.
The scene on Townline Rd. is still being held by police as an investigation continues, and the road will remain closed throughout the weekend.
-With files from Miranda Chant
