CHILD KILLED; 7 OTHERS INJURED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22593, 23 March 1948, Page 4

CHILD KILLED; 7 OTHERS INJURED

2 IN SERIOUS STATE; SUDDEN TRAGEDY

SHRAPNEL AMMUNITION EXPLODES

(P.A.)

AUCKLAND, March 23

A five-year-old boy was killed instantly and seven small children wore injured, two seriously, when ammunition believed to have been one or more shrapnel shells exploded in a concrete tool shed at the back of a State house in Onehunga yesterday afternoon. The victims were:—

KILLED. William Howard Frv, aged 8, son of Petty Officer and Mrs. J. H. Fry, Onehunga. INJURED. Malcolm Clewett, aged 8, son of Mr. .<nd Mrs. J. F. Clewett; condition fairly serious. Kenneth Clewett, aged 4; condition

A dead shell about Sin- in diameter m and more than Gin. long was found subsequently. ' The explosion rocked houses nearby and could be heard nearly a quarter of a mile away. The screams of the Injured children • brought residents in the vicinity rush--1 ing to the scene of the tragedy. Petty Officer Fry was working on his 1 car on the lawn of his home next door

_ .serious. Clewett, aged G, condition satisfactory. Norman John Fry, aged 2, son of Petty Officer and Mrs. Fry; condition not serious. Lorna Game, aged 6, daughter of Mrs. E. J Caryie: condition satisfactory. Margaret Fricker, aged 6; condition satisfactory. Carol Fneiver, aged o: condition satisfactory. The cause of the explosion was still uncertain last night, but it is believed that the group of children were playing in the round concrete shed and lound some ammunition. Thev played with it and it is thought possible that one o- more shrapnel shells may have ‘■‘xploded.

when the explosion occurred He and his v .-;f e ran to the shed and Petty Officer Fry lifted the small victims ou tside william Fry received head, body and leg injuries and lost a hand. Death occ -':i-red instantly The remaining' children, suffering mainly from abdomen and leg injuries. were taken to hospital. Pieces of metal W ere embedded in tneir bodies. Other pieces of metal were found on the door of the shed, Despite the noise of the explosion the small shed. 7ft. high and 7ft. in diameter, was practically undamagedA sms’l window w.ys blown out. but the walls and roof were not cracked, Even bottles on the door were not disturbecl.