Two killed when house collapses

Press, 17 February 1984, Page 1

Two killed when house collapses

PA , Auckland A house collapsed in the Auckland suburb of Glendowie yesterday, killing two men and injuring a third. One of the men who died was the owner of the house. He was Engle Arthur Rohrer, aged 65, a real estate salesman. The other man was Windham Maurice Phillips, aged 59, a builder, of Onehunga, who was helping Mr Rohrer extend the house. Robert Littlejohn, aged 54, a building contractor, of St Heliers, was taken to Auckland Hospital with a broken ankle. He was reported in a satisfactory condition last evening. Mrs Rohrer, who was in the house, suffered bruises and shock. The house in Riddell Road was raised before Christmas and was supported with blocks and braces. A basement was being formed. The police said they thought the house slid off the blocks on to the men

about 1.30 p.m. Walls caved in, windows shattered, and supports inside the house collapsed, leaving it tilting badly. Mr Alfredo Mujica, a friend of the Rohrer family who lives opposite, said he heard a thump and went outside. “I saw that the house had collapsed. I went to take a quick look to see if I could see any signs of life inside the house,” he said.

He could not see any movement, and so he called the police and went back for another look. “I saw Mrs Rohrer coming out of the house,” he said. “She was in shock. I brought her to my house. Then the neighbours went back to see if they could help the trapped men.” Firemen returning from a big factory fire at Penrose set about making the house stable enough to rescue the trapped men. Mr Littlejohn was soon released. The firemen worked for several hours before recovering the bodies of the other men.