A man accused of murdering two young Melbourne sisters on Easter Sunday has appeared in court.

Charles Amon Mihayo, 35, has been charged with two counts of murder after Savannah, four, and Indianna, three, were found dead at a Watsonia home on Sunday afternoon.

• Sisters ‘forever loved’, accused to appear in court

Mihayo, of Watsonia, briefly appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning. He was remanded in custody for a committal mention in August. Mihayo is known to the girls, police said on Sunday.

Photographs of the smiling sisters, captured in matching outfits and holding hands, were released by the family on Sunday.

Family members say they are devastated by their loss and say the girls will be missed forever.

“We are utterly devastated at the loss of Savannah and Indianna,” they said in a statement released by police.

“The girls will be forever missed, loved and never forgotten.”

Indianna, aged 3 and Savannah, aged four, were found dead at their grandmother’s house on Easter Sunday.

Floral tributes and messages of sympathy were left outside the Watsonia home on Monday.

Police have not revealed how the children died.

“We are utterly devastated at the loss of Savannah and Indianna,” the family said in a statement released by Victoria Police on their behalf.

“The girls will be forever missed, loved and never forgotten.”

The family asked that their privacy be respected to allow time to grieve.

Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Crisp said it was a tragic set of circumstances with a number of police officers “in tears”.

“It goes without saying this is a tragic set of circumstances that has impacted on the family and there were a number of family members here at the time,” he said.

“It’s first of all impacted on friends, neighbours, and also on members of the fire brigade and the ambulance services and members of Victoria Police that have attended the scene.”