WANGANUI TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1921, Page 1

WANGANUI TRAGEDY

[nY TELEGRAPH —TER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

FURTHER DETAILS

WANANUI, March 11

The youngest Bishop hoy was badly burned in the lire last night, pieces of blackened kapoc adhering to his skin, hut the scars of the others were not so severe. Possibly they may have been mercifully suffocated, without suffering greatly. Mrs Bishop states that she left the house to go to a neighbour’s at 8.15, the children being asleep. Miss Grey and the baby coming out of the front room, and took the baby to bed with her. Five children were in the hack room and two in another. Mrs -McKenzie, a next-door neighbour, and her daughter saw flames issuing from the hack portion of the house, and rushed for assistance, meeting Miss Grey an dthe baby coming out of the front room. After assisting these two to safety. Mrs McKenzie and her daughter rescued two ol the other children, one from the hack bedroom, hut the flames prevented them re-enter-ing by the door. ‘ They ran round to the hack and tried to get in at the window, but a bed and chest of drawers blocked ingress. The brigade then arrived and took over the rescue work. Apparently the children were all asleep at the time of the outbreak. A young man named Henry Luke rescued a girl from the front room. She was burned about the hands and died at the hospital this morning.

One hoy escaped through a window

FOURTH VICTIM ALIVE. WANGANUI. March 11. It is now learned that the reported lea tli of the fourth victim of Thursday light’s lire is incorrect. The little gir s progressing satisfactorily at the buslital.