AN EXPLOSION.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1920, Page 4

AN EXPLOSION.

in Railway carriage,

Six PERSONS INJURED

(Per Press Association.)

GISOENE Deo 6

A Berisatioriai acciderit, resulting in injury to six persons, oocured on the Gisborne railway station to-day just before 4.5 p.ni. The iraih for Motuhara was timed to depart, and was standing at the platforrii with a large number of passengers aboard, arid about the platforiri, when a loud report startled everyone iri the vicinity. A burst of flame arid snioke was seen to come from a carriage standing directly opposite the door of the Stationmaster’s office. There were five occupants of the carriage, a second class smoker, and all received burns about tho face ,and limbs, and body while a woman who was standing on the platform 0 f the carriage, next to the one in which the explosion occurred, also received burris to her face, limbs and body. The force of the explosion blew out the glass in the door of the carriage, and struck her with considerable force. Those, injured were:, John Tolholff, (Mangapapa); Trios Burris (Rakauioa); Trios, itearris (Rakauroa); A- D. Tawhi (Ruatoki), Janies Teepu (Otdko), rind litiss Lena Hull (Otoko). Medical assistance was summoned,' and two doctors bandaged the patients and prepared them for removal to the hospital, all suffering from shock and burns. In some cases the flare burned the skin off and singed and burned their clothes and hair. , t

Inquiries at the hospital to-night show that no serious results are anticipated. . .. • There was a considerable amount of speculation concernirig the cause of the explosion. It was, discovered that it was due. to a parcel of blasting powder under the carriage seat becoming ignited. .The owner of the parcel lias not yet been located. One of the patients informed the police that lie saw a brown paper parcel under the . seat. , Tlie parcel was burning rind ho put his foot on it to extinguish the flanies. By so doing he apparently detonated the package, which contained blasting powder, and the explosion occurred. The report was a very loud one, trip burst of flame and the explosion blowing out the glass in tho door of tho carriage with a crash, arid badly scratching the interior of tlie carriage. It being a smoking carriage, the package could easily have become lighted by a match dropped on to the floor in the vicinity of the parcel. One passenger had an exceedingly fortunate esca.po from injury. He was just about to stop 0 n to the carriage, having said good-bye to a friend, when the door blew out. The force of the explosion just missejl him. • Janies Teepu,. a Maori, and one of .the victims had only been discharged from th© hospital this morning, and was,going home by train when the: accident necessitated his return to trie institution.

On tlie. luggage rack in the same carriage, as that in which trie explosion occured was another package of blasting powder, but this was not involved in the explosion. ~s