Australia hostel blaze accused appears in court

A fruit-picker charged with murder after 15 backpackers died in a hostel blaze has appeared in court in Australia.

Robert Paul Long, 37, sat in Brisbane Magistrates' Court flanked by two prison security guards for a committal hearing on charges of arson and murdering 27-year-old twins Kelly June and Stacey Louise Slarke.

He was not required to enter a plea.

The twins were among 15 travellers who died in the fire on June 23 at the Palace Backpackers Hostel in Childers, about 195 miles north of Brisbane.

The hearing, at which prosecutors will present a summary of their evidence against Long, is expected to last up to two weeks.

At the end of the hearing magistrate Michael Halliday must decide whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Six backpackers from the UK, four from Australia, two from the Netherlands and one each from Ireland, South Korea and Japan were killed in the blaze.

Long is also charged with unlawfully wounding and attempting to kill a police officer during his arrest in a small town close to Childers, after a five-day police manhunt.