A 53-year-old woman from Nepal was killed after a car crashed into a house in Perth’s inner east, where she was staying with her family, Australian media reported.

According to The Australia Today, Bishnu Kumari Gurung, also known as Himali, died late on Friday night after a yellow Ford Falcon left Alexander Road in Rivervale and ploughed into the rented property shortly before midnight.

Police said the vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road, mounted a driveway, smashed through a fence and crashed into the house. Gurung was asleep in the front room of her daughter and son-in-law’s home at the time. She became trapped beneath the wreckage and died at the scene.

CCTV footage from the property captured the moment of impact, showing sparks as the car tore through the room. Neighbours rushed outside after hearing a loud crash. One local resident told The Australia Today the impact sounded like “a plane had dropped” on his roof.

Emergency services cordoned off the area as police, ambulances, fire crews and State Emergency Service teams responded and worked to stabilise the damaged home.

The alleged driver, a 36-year-old man from Kewdale, and his 43-year-old passenger were not injured. Police arrested the driver at the scene and charged him with manslaughter and criminal damage. He was denied bail and is due to appear at Perth Magistrates Court on Sunday. Major Crash Investigation officers are continuing to investigate the incident.

Gurung had arrived in Australia only months ago with her husband to visit family. Relatives gathered outside the damaged home on Saturday, struggling to come to terms with the loss.

Family members described her as warm, generous and central to the family’s life. “She was the heart and soul of our family,” one relative said, according to The Australia Today.

A GoFundMe page has been launched to help cover funeral expenses and support the family. Her daughter, Srijana Gurung, said the donations would help the family cope with life without her mother’s presence during a period of profound grief.