SCENE OF FIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26625, 22 November 1947, Page 6

SCENE OF FIRE

SEARCH ENDS FORTY-ONE DEATHS RESULT OF POLICE CHECK P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 21. The death roll in the fire at Ballantyne’s may now be put at 41. The police have recovered 40 bodies from the premises, and one victim, Violet May Cody, has died in hospital. Today the names of six persons previously reported missing but not checked by the police were classified as definitely missing. In all, 41 persons have been reported missing, but that total includes a Miss Kerr. The police have found persons of that name at Riversdale and Cheviot, both alive and well, and the officers conducting the investigations have asked that the person who first reported Miss Kerr as missing should communicate with them. The removal of spoil from the interior of Ballantyne’s and the searching of the debris for bodies and personal effects, ended shortly before darkness this evening. The pumping of water from the basements was completed soon after 1 p.m., and most of the 162 workers on the scene spent the rest of the day removing and searching the debris in that part of the premises. More personal effects and human remains were found and removed by the police. Many Workers Taking part in the searching operations to-day were 120 army personnel. City Council employees, 15 men from the Public Works Department, and seven police officers. A large army mobile crane was again’used for moving heavy girders and timber and for removing a power pole outside the main entrance on which the insulators had disintegrated. The work progressed rapidly throughout the day, but a careful watch had to be maintained for falling masonry. No casualties among workers were reported, and the city engineer, Mr E. Somers,‘said that the members of the army works company had done a wonderful job in maintaining the safety of the premises while the men were at work.

Operations had to be suspended on occasions while parts of the ruins were made safe. Large quantities of carpets and upholstery materials damaged by fire and water were removed by the insurance adjustors and materials which might have a bearing on the cause of the fire were removed by the police. A rolled gold wrist watch was found in the ruins. It was in good condition and it is thought to be easily identifiable.

Among the army workers to-day were men normally employed as clerks, mechani'cs. cooks and drivers and they came from Burnham, from district headquarters, from Area 10 headquarters and Poulsen street camp. Majors and captains, indistinguishable from other ranks in their overalls, took part in the digging and searching. Early to-morrow morning a contractor will use power winches and the army crane to pull down the top storey wall of the building fronting Colombo street. The contractor said to-day that it would probably take four weeks to demolish and clear the above-ground wreckage and the demolition of the foundations, if found necessary, would be done later. The Salvation Army again provided refreshments for the workers—a service it has given since the operations began. There was again a large number of spectators watching the operations during the day. “ Definitely Missing ” The following variations in the casualty list were made by the police to-day:— Previously Reported Missing But Not Checked by Police, now Classified as Definitely Missing Miss Nellie Elenora Marie Christensen, aged 20, 114 St. James avenue , Gerald Hampson, aged 25, 35 Sales road. Miss Marie Elizabeth Hampson. aged 22, 35 Sales road. - Miss Helen Ballantyne Hamilton, aged 26, 24 Ayr street. Miss Rosalind Hayman, aged 20, 23 Mayfield avenue. William John Hudson, aged 48, 197 Clyde road.