FOUR DEAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23401, 18 July 1939, Page 10

FOUR DEAD

LINER EXPLOSION 27 MEN INJURED DETAILS OF TEAGEDY 4 ——— FIRE EXTINGUISHED SUFFERINGS OF CHEW ■By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received July IS, 32.30 a.m.) LONDON, July 17 It now transpires that four members of tho crew of the P. and O. liner Narkunda, en routo from London to Sydney, were killed and 27 were injured as the result of the explosion, following a fire, in No. 6 hold, says a message from Colombo. Those killed were : Quartermasters J. Nicholson and J. Sparks ; yeoman of the mails R. Scarle; and an unnamed lascar. L. Hall, a bellboy, who was reported to have died, .•was later found among the injured in the hospital. Sparks was blown to bits and tho body of Nicholson was found in a lifoboat, Tho injured include G. Bloxham, tourist class chief steward; C. Terry . and C. Farrel, assistant stewards. Tho remaindor aro Goaneso. They aro suffering mainly from severe burns. An inquest on the victims was held aboard and a verdict of accidental death was returned. Witnesses Dazed with Shock Th'e second officer, J. N. Sinclair, stated in evidence that whon ho wont on deck there was an explosion. Quartermaster Downes, describing tho explosion, said ho was working in tho mail'room and then a "bomb burst." Tho bodies of the victims were terribly injured, and in some cases limbs wero missing. Some witnesses seemed dazed with shock and were not able to speak coherently. • The cause of tho explosion was not mentioned. It is believed to have been spontaneous combustion, but this has not yet been definitely ascertained. Many of the injured in hospital are not expected to live. Tugs were helping to extinguish the fire when the explosion occurred, blowing up those fighting the fire, which was first discovered at 4.45 a.m. Flames Fought for Hours ' The captain wirelessed to Colombo, and, as the ship arrived, tugs pumped water into tho hold from D deck and flooded the mail room. Tho fire was discovered in No. 6 hold outside tho harbour. The ship was then speeded up. The captain's radio message requested tugs and fire-fighters to stand by. The crew was mustered, with fire kit, and fought the flames for hours. A fire-float was taken alongside immediately the Narkunda anchored, and the explosion occurred while it was pumping in water. The fire was extinguished lator. The explosion was terrific. Two members of the crew vreio hurled 35 feet across the deck. One was picked up dead and the other was unrecognisable. He succumbed later. Seamen Trapped in Hold No. 6 hold, where the outbreak of fire pccurred, had a cargo of cork and 'was in the stern. The vessel went into port flying the fire signal. Within 16 minutes of entering tho port the explosion occurred. Prior to the explosion, tho chief officer sent several members of the crew to rouse the passengers., The mail room was over the hold that was on firo. Suddenly there was an explosion with a flash of flame extending half way up the height of the mast and blowing out the hold where several of tho crew were working. A. passenger, Mr. Playout, was standing 10 yards from the hold and was thrown a good distance away. He was dazed and suffered shock. Passengers in the tourist class were thrown from their bunks by tho force of the explosion. Tho tourist class was evacuated. One passenger, describing the explosion, said it was like an earthquako. It shook the whole vessel. Tho mail room was flooded to prevent fire there. Three hundred mail bags were dama'ged. No passengers wero injured. Police Discount Bomb Theory The tragedy occurred while the firefighters wero assembled at the after hatch, in which the Ceylon mails wero stored. Tho port doctor was leaving tho liner after his customary inspection but was recalled and attended to the victims. The police discounted a rumour that a bomb had been discovered. Officials of tho P. and 0. Lino in London said that if a bomb was responBible the explosion would have occurred first and been followed by a firo, but the -reverso was tho case. "We aro completely at a loss to explain the mystery," added one official. It is hoped that the Narkunda will sail for Australia on Monday. > It is" stated that spontaneous combustion is the most likely cause of the explosion. It is believed something in the cargo fermented, emitting gas, which ignited. Smoke was seen an hour and a-half before tho explosion, entirely disposing of the bomb theory. '. The funeral of the four men killed took , place this morning. Ono of the victims, Searle, was to have married a 'stewardess, Miss Meace, upon the ship's roturn to England.