TANGIWAI RAIL DISASTER

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27246, 13 January 1954, Page 2

TANGIWAI RAIL DISASTER

MORE VICTIMS MAY BE IDENTIFIED

PERSONAL EFFECTS TO BE EXAMINED (New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January 12. It is highly probable that the identity of some of the victims of the Tangiwai rail disaster interred at Karori will be established The emergency committee, in a statement issued through the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) says that any clues, however slight, are carefully followed up. Inquiries covered, a field wide enough to include England. Mr Holland said that a suitable common headstone m memory of those victims interred at Karori would be erected at the grave. During the extremely difficult period when, for most urgent reasons, unidentified victims had to be transferred to Wellington, a small quantity of personal belongings did not accompany the caskets. He sriri these effects bad now been received in Wellington and had b°en examined in relation t" other information already recorded. The iden itv of one victirri buried at Karori had now been definitely established, and it was hoped that when inquiries were completed in England, two and possibly three more identifications would be established. In each case, the next-of-kin had been informed and information was being exchanged. “The committee particularly wishes to avoid creating false hopes that additional identifications will be I es+ablished. but it is expected that further material will be recovered when the train wreckage is salvaged.” Mr Holland said. He added that every possible step was being taken to sift all available evidence ■ that would reduce the number of unidentified victims.

?s part of the inscription on the stone to be placed on the grave of victims at Karori, the names of any persons whose identity had or would be established since the burial would be recorded.