FLOOD TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1938, Page 10

FLOOD TRAGEDY

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST VIEWS OF WORKERS. CAMP CONSIDERED TO BE SAFE. By Telegraph—Press Association. WAIROA, April 4. The inquests on those victims of the Kopuawhara tragedy whose bodies have been recovered was resumed to-day by the Coroner, Mr. V. F. Winter. The tragedy occurred in the early morning ’of Saturday, February 19, when the single men’s section of Number Four Camp was overwhelmed by floodwaters and 20 men and one young woman lost their lives. Nineteen of the bodies were recovered and evidence of identification in respect of these has already been taken.

Rupe William Rangi said he reached camp at about 11.15 o'clock on the night of the flood. He crossed the bridge on his way home and noticed that the water of the stream was then fairly high, being halfway up to the decking. It was raining fairly heavy at the time but he did not think there was any danger of a flood. He had seen rain falling as heavily on previous occasions but there was no flood. He was pulled out of bed at about 3.30 a.m. by a man named Doyle, who said the camp was under water. Witness stated that he had been living at the camp since June, 1936. He had never seen the stream come over the banks and always considered the camp to be safe. He knew Number 6 Tunnel and for some time the Public Works Department had been dumping spoil taken from the tunnel into the stream. He did not think this dumping would have any bearing on the disaster. The single men’s quarters were about 11 or 12 feet above the level of the stream, which was about 80 feet wide at this point and the site contained old willow and totara trees, which were washed out by the flood. Thomas Dorrien, one of the survivors, said he considered the camp was quite safe so far as floods were concerned.. He had never experienced such heavy rainfall. His belief was that the water had been dammed up. Thomas Dunlea, another survivor, stated that during the time he was at the camp he had always regarded it as being quite safe and that there was no danger from the stream, he had never experienced rain to approach it for intensity.