FATAL FIRE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 3, 28 September 1921, Page 5

FATAL FIRE

/ TWO CHILDREN PERISH i ONE BURNED AND THE OTHER SUFFOCATED . x ! PARENTS AWAY FROM HOME Two little girls perished in a fire at Lyttelton last night. One was burned to death and the other was suffocated. i' , . By Telegraph —Press Association. Christchurch, September 27., Olive and Maida Dodds, aged respectively ten and four years, daughters of Mr. D. S. Dtodds, of London Street, Lyttelton, lost their lives in a fire to-night. Mr. Dodds carries on the business of , a clothier in the street mentioned, and lived on the promises. He and his wife were absent from home at the time of tho outbreak. When the fire was first , noticed thick smoke was coming from the rear of the building, but almost immediately the .whole of the shop broke into flames. One child was actually seen at an upstairs window, and Constable Baines, who was proceeding on duty, mode his way up on the verandah and entered the building. Unfortunately, he was directed to the wrong window, and after groping around inside was overcome by smoko and collapsed. He was rescued By ward Lester and removed to the police station for medical attention.' Directly the firq brigade got to work another entrance was made, and the bodies, wore recovered. The elder giifl had been burnt and the younger - suffocated.