Sydney nursing home fire claims Maltese victim

Sydney police have announced that a Maltese migrant, Ceasar Galea, died at Hawkesbury Hospital earlier today at 8:20am AEDT (2am CET), the Australian Associated Press reported.

Three residents, including 73-year-old Alma Smith, died at the scene of the fire, which tore through the facility on Hambledon Road, Quakers Hill, early on Friday morning.

On Friday afternoon Lola Bennett, 86, died at Royal North Shore Hospital, while Ella Wood, 97, died at Concord Repatriation General Hospital on Saturday morning. A 79-year-old woman died yesterday in Liverpool Hospital, police said.

Roger Dean, 35, a registered nurse who worked for a short time at the home has so far been charged with four counts of murder.

Meanwhile, a preliminary report has confirmed that staff at nursing homes must undergo police checks under federal accreditation requirements, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says.

O'Farrell said he received the report today, which confirms staff are checked by police. ''Under the federal accreditation, that is required to occur, including in relation to those agencies who supply nurses into our nursing homes,'' he said.

He said government agency heads were meeting to look at safety in nursing homes, and were expected to report to him later today. "They're meeting to provide me with a report as to what, if any, changes or recommendations need to be made to the federal government, or what changes need to be made at a state level to ensure greater safety, particularly fire safety, in and around our nursing homes," he said.

Asked if he was surprised it was not mandatory for sprinklers to be installed in nursing homes, O'Farrell said: "I'm happy to take the advice of the experts who are meeting as we speak."

The Quakers Hill nursing home gutted in Friday's fire did not have sprinklers installed. Domain Principal Group, which operated the facility, said today it was continuing to talk with residents, families and employees of the home.