TRAGEDY AT SUMNER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19512, 16 December 1926, Page 12

TRAGEDY AT SUMNER.

WOMAN FATALLY BURNED. EXPLOSION OF PETROL FUMES TWO SISTERS ALSO INJURED. BRAVE EFFORT TO SAVE FRIEND. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHD RCH. Wednesday As the result of severe burns sustained through the explosion of petrol fumes yesterday at the home of Mr. W. Bowden, Richmond Hill, Sumner, Miss Hilda Heinzman, aged 26 years, died in the Lewisham Hospital at 2 a.m. to-day. Miss Rata Bowden, aged 26 years, is suffering from severe burns to the hands and body and severe shock, and Miss Kathleen Bowden, aged 20, sustained burns to her head and hands. Miss Rata Bowden was cleaning an evening dress with petrol in the kitchen and Miss Heinzman had just entered and lighted the gas iron when there was a sharp explosion, and a sheet of flame swept through the kitchen. The clothes of Miss Heinzman were ignited and she ran to the nearest door, but collapsed before reaching it. Miss Rata Bowden, who was also badly burned, although fortunately her clothes did not ignite, called for help and her sister Kathleen came running to the scene. She found the kitchen burning, but she rolled Miss Heinzman in a mat on the floor in a plucky effort to extinguish the girl's burning frock. While the flames from the burning kitchen leaped round them the two sisters struggled to save their friend, and succeeded in extinguishing the burning dress but only after receiving injuries themselves. Miss Kathleen Bowden's eyebrows and hair were singed and her hands and arms were burned. Miss Rata Bowden added to her already severe injuries in her endeavours to help Miss Heinzman. Sweeping through a window on to the balcony the flames ignited a bed there and the house, a large two-storey wooden structure on the hillside, was in danger of destruction when the fire brigade arrived. The fire was extinguished after considerable damage to the kitchen and balcony and the destruction of furniture. Miss Heinzman, whose home was at Taitapu, had been boarding with the Bowdens. She was on, the staff of the Sumner school for the deaf. She recently suffered from a nervous breakdown, and after a six months' vacation had resumed her duties at the institution only three weeks ago. Miss Rata Bowden is a teacher at the Sumner school, and she and Miss Heinzman were to have commenced their annual vacation to-day, and were contemplating a holiday. At the inquest, which was opened today, Sergeant Hyland said that it would be almost a month at least before Miss Rata Bowden, the chief witness, would be in a fit state to give evidence. The inquest was adjourned sine die.