Death of three-year-old boy in social housing fire could have been caused by faulty electrical wiring, inquest hears

The house fire at Larapinta, a western suburb of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory on 1 June 2023. Photograph: Northern Territory coroner's court

An inquest in the Northern Territory will examine whether faulty electrical wiring in social housing caused a fire that killed a three-year-old Indigenous boy, after an audit of about 600 territory-owned properties found more than half needed immediate remedial work.

The inquest, which started in Alice Springs on Wednesday, is hearing evidence about the 2023 death of Mitchell Thomas in social housing in Larapinta, a western suburb of the town.