FIVE KILLED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 July 1939, Page 6

FIVE KILLED

EXPLOSION ON LINER NARKUNDA FOLLOWING ON FIRE IN MAILROOM TWENTY-SIX PERSONS INJURED. QUARTERMASTER BLOWN TO BITS. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.35 a.m.) COLOMBO. July 16. An explosion in the No. 6 hold of the Narkunda, while the vessel, was berthing this morning, resulted in five persons being killed and 26 seriously injured. The Narkunda. came into port flying the fire signal, and within sixteen minutes of entering port the explosion occurred among, a cargo of cork.

Prior to the .explosion, the Chief Officer sent several of the crew to clear, the passengers, as the mailroom over the hold was on fire. Suddenly there came an explosion, with a flash of flame extending halfway up the height of the mast, blowing out of the hold several of the crew working there. Quartermaster J. Sparks was blown to bits and Quartermaster Nicholson’s body was found in a lifeboat. R. Searle and one Lascar were also killed. Of those injured) five are members of the European crew. They are C. W. B]oxham, C. S. Farow, C. Perry, S. V. Mattin and L. Hall: Hall’s injuries are extremely serious. The rest of the injured are Lascars. A passenger named Playout, who was standing ten yards from the hold, was thrown a good distance away. He was dazed and suffered shock. The passengers in the tourist class were thrown from their bunks by the force of the explosion. Their section of the ship has now been evecuated. A passenger, describing the explosion stated that it was like an earthquake shock, which shook the whole vessel. The mailroom above the hold hasbeen flooded to prevent fire. Three hundred mailbags are damaged. The cause of the fire has not been ascertained.

At an inquest held on the ship, on those killed aboard and on a fifth man who died in hospital, a verdict of accidental death was returned. Second Officer J. N. Sinclair stated that when he came on deck there was an explosion.

Quartermaster Downes, describing the explosion, said he was working in. the mailroom when “the bomb burst.” The bodies were terribly mangled. In some cases limbs were missing.

Some of the witnesses seemed dazed by shock and were unable to speak coherently. The cause of the- explosion was not mentioned. The cause of the fire in Number 6 hold, at the ship’s stern, is believed to’ have been , spontaneous combustion.

Many of those injured who are in hospital are not expected to live. Further details reveal that the Narkunda was outside the harbour at 4.45 a.m., when the five was discovered. The ship wirelessed the shore and speeded up. She requested tugs and firefighters to stand by. The crew were mustered in fighting kit and fought the (lames for hours. A firefloat drew alongside immediately the Narkunda anchored and, with tugs, was pumping water into the hold, D Deck and the mailroom when the explosion occurred. The fire was later extinguished. A majority of those injured are Goanese stewards and Lascars. It will not be known whether the ship will be delayed until the extent of the damage has been ascertained. SUDDEN DISASTER BOMB THEORY DISCOUNTED. (Received This Day, 1.20 a.m.) COLOMBO, July 16. The explosion on the Narkunda was terrific. Two members of the crew were hurled 35 feet across the deck. One was picked up dead and the other, who was unrecognisable, later succumbed. The tragedy occurred while fire-fighters were assembled at the after hatch, in which the Ceylon mails were stored. The doctor, who was departing from the liner after the customary inspection, was recalled and attended the victims. The police discounted a rumour that a bomb had been discovered. A London message states that officials of the P. and O. Company said that if a bomb had been responsible, the explosion would have occurred first, followed by the fire, but the reverse was the case. “Wo arc at a complete loss to explain the mystery,” the officials declared. They added that it was hoped that the Narkunda would sail for Australia on July 17.