BABY BURNT TO DEATH

Press, Issue 29236, 21 June 1960, Page 13

BABY BURNT TO DEATH

Fire Razes Old Wooden House

(Noto Z«aiana Press Association/ AUCKLAND, June 20. The mother of a 16-months-old baby had to be forcibly restrained from entering her blazing flat in Auckland this morning to try to save the child. The baby—lying in his cot—died in the fire. He was: '

Christopher Joseph Morunga, whose parents, Mr and Mrs J. C. Morunga, occupied one ot two flats in an old wooden house in Williamson avenue, Ponsonby. Screaming “my baby, my baby,” 7 as flames bunt through window* and into the ceiling, the woman was led away. Neither she, neighbours nor firemen could get inside the house in time. •‘We could do nothing—the house was -blazing when we arrived,” said Chief Fire Officer G. Drummond, who led three fire crews in a successful bid to stop the flames getting a hold Ph, adjacent houses. The side wall of one house was badly charred before the flames were beaten and slight damage was done to another house. The mother was washing clothes at the rear of the house when the fire began. By the time she raced around to the front of the building the flat was blazing fiercely.