Dad murders mom, burns two kids alive in car fire (Culoz, France)

UNNAMED DAD. Even though he is dead as well.

Father kills children aged four and six after dousing car with petrol and setting it alight
Third child, 11, escapes with serious burns
Wife later found strangled to death at family home
Father, 33, also killed in blaze
By Daniel Miller

Last updated at 12:06 PM on 4th October 2011

A crazed father doused his car with petrol then got inside and set it ablaze with three of his children trapped inside.

Two children aged four and six and the 33-year-old man all died in the drama at a supermarket filling station in Culoz, south-east France.

The third child, an 11-year-old boy, managed to get out of the burning car and escaped with serious burns injuries, police said.

The man's 29-year-old wife was later found strangled to death at the family's home 60 miles away after the tragedy at 8.30pm on Monday evening.

A police spokesman said: 'The man pulled over to apparently fill his car with petrol but instead doused the car, leapt inside and set it alight.

'Of the three children in the car, only one 11-year-old managed to escape while all the other occupants died.'

An investigation into the man's mental state was now underway, the spokesman added.