BURNED TO DEATH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 73, 3 July 1942, Page 5

BURNED TO DEATH

OMARUMUTU MAN'S FATE

WHAIIE GUTTED

An old Omarumutu resident, Mr Pcne Ngamoko, considered to be over 00 years of age, lost his life early on Sunday morning, when his whare, where lie lived by himself was completely destroj r ed by lire. The lire, was first noticed by Mr Tommy Edwardson, a nearby neighbour, when he looked out of liis window early in the morning. Smoke was coming from all round Ngamoko's house and when he went to investigate, he found that the whare was on fire. Mr E'clwardson pushed the door open and the whole place immediately burst into flames. The smoke was so thick and the heat so* intense that he could not get into the whare and was powerless to do anything. When the fire died down the re-i mains of the old man, "who had apparently been lying on the. bed. were found, the bodj r being pracincinerated. The police and the district coroner, Mr F. J. Short, -visited the scene of the tragcdj r on Sunday and nn inquest was held there. The coroner returned the finding that deceased lost his life J33- midadventure, the cause of death being due to burning. Enquiries revealed that Ngamoko was a heavy cigarette smoker and that he was in the habit of taking epileptic fits. It was considered probable that while smoking a cigarette he had taken a fit and set fire to his bedclothes.