Detectives are investigating an explosion at a New Year’s Even house party in Melbourne’s north-east which left eleven people in hospital.
Emergency services were called to a home on Development Boulevard in the suburb of Mill Park just after 11pm on Sunday, responding to reports of a fire burning in the garden.
Authorities believe a chemical was poured onto a fire in the backyard which caused an explosion.
On Monday afternoon, police announced Whittlesea Crime Investigation Unit detectives were investigating the incident.
Victoria police said a 40-year-old man was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, but his condition has since been downgraded to “serious”. Ten others were admitted to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries including minor burns, while four people were treated at the scene.
“Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing,” police said.
The assistant commissioner, Michael Grainger, described the fire as “terribly serious”.
Local residents said close to 100 people were at the party when the fire broke out, the Herald Sun reported.
Separately, Victorian police arrested 33 people and responded to 64 fireworks-related incidents, several of which resulted in serious injuries and fires.
In Tootgarook on the Mornington Peninsula, a 57-year-old woman was taken to hospital after a house fire believed to have started after fireworks and flares were set off in the street.
Another woman was injured after an illegal firework struck her in the face shortly after midnight at Altona beach, police said.
The woman was taken to hospital while a 20-year-old man was arrested at the scene.
Police said they were generally happy with the behaviour of revellers in Melbourne on New Year’s Eve.
“We saw great crowd behaviour at suburban and regional community celebrations, with people taking responsibility for their own behaviour and looking out for their friends,” Grainger said.
“There were only a small number of people who did the wrong thing, but they were dealt with swiftly by police, so the atmosphere was in no way spoiled.”