Three Children Burned To Death

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29909, 24 August 1962, Page 13

Three Children Burned To Death

(New Zealand Preu Association)

WHAKATANE, Aug. 23. Three children were burned to death at 5 p.m. yesterday when a kerosene heater was knocked over in their small, two-roomed bach at Wainui Pa. about 12 miles from Whakaitane.

A fourth child in the bach when the heater was knocked over managed to get out unharmed. The dead children were: Te Pula Anthony Wiremu. aged five months. Melody Anne Wiremu, aged 1 year 5 months, and

Maharaia Walter Wiremu, aged 3 years.

Their bodies were recovered from the gutted building by the Whakatane police this morning. At the time of the tragedy the children’s mother, Mrs W. Wiremu, was working in a nearby cowshed which was out of view of the bach. She was first told of the fire by the eldest of the four children she had left in the bach, Piripi Bill Wiremu, aged 4$ years, but on her arrival the building was well ablaze.

A neighbour, Mr W. Biddle, was attracted to the scene through hearing ex-

plotting fibrolite and bad to restrain Mrs Wiremu when she attempted to enter the bach. Mrs Wiremu later told the police that her aon. Piripi. had told her one of the children had knocked over the kerosene heater which had been sitting in the kitchen.