OAK BAY, B.C. -- The father of two girls who were found dead in a Victoria-area home on Christmas Day has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

RCMP say in a news release that 43-year-old Andrew Berry was arrested and charged after he was released from hospital.

Six-year-old Chloe Berry and her four-year-old sister Aubrey were found dead in a home in Oak Bay on Dec. 25.

A friend of the family has said the children's mother notified police that her former common-law spouse hadn't returned the girls as scheduled.

Police previously said an injured man, whose condition was not disclosed, was found inside the home and he was taken to hospital.

The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit continues to investigate the deaths.