MAORI FRE TRAGEDY

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 August 1939, Page 4

MAORI FRE TRAGEDY

MOTHER GIVES EVIDENCE [per press association.] TAUMARUNUI, August 23. Au inquest was opened before the •Coroner (Mr. W. Thomas) regarding the six Maori children who were burnt to death last night at the Maori land development settleinent. The mother of the children gave evidence that her husband was deaf and dumb. She said the family occupied two huts on the settlement scheme property, and it had been the practice for the six eldest children to sleep on the floor of a whare, and for her husband and herself, with infant, to retire .to the other whare, a short distance away. The building where the children slept had only one room, and a fireplace with a sack in front to stop the smoke. She put the children to bed, and she and her husband and the infant retired to the other whare. Eater she heard shouts, and found the children’s whare in flames. She got the children out, but all were severely burnt. The district nurse treated the children for burns, and called the Taumarunui ambulance. They set out for Taumarunui, 70 miles distant, in two cars, with the children, and met the ambulance on the way. She had since heard that a neighbour saw the eldest boy taking more firewood into the whare after she and her husband had left for their whare. She thought the boy must have built up the fire, and that some fell out while they were asleep, igniting the building. She always regarded the fireplace as unsafe, and took the greatest care. There was only about two feet from the fireplace to the woodwork near the hearth, and nothing to protect it from falling embers. The inquest was adjourned sine die.