FIREWORKS EXPLODE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 751, 26 August 1929, Page 9

FIREWORKS EXPLODE

WOMAN AND THREE CHILDREN KILLED BATTLE THROUGH FLAMES Four persons were burned to death and several were injured in a fire following an explosion of fireworks at the five-and-ten-cent store in St. Louis, D.S.A., recently The fire started on a counter where a big display of Fourth of July fireworks was piled up under a string cf red and white lights. Officials believe that the string of lamps became shortcircuited, igniting one of the fireworks pieces, from which flames enveloped the whole display within a few seconds. The fire spread rapidly to the entire store and customers aud young women employees fought their way through it to the street, many of them with their clothing in flames. The front windows crashed out under the repeated explosions of pinwheels, skyrockets and roman candles, according to the statements of persons passing who rushed to aid the women and children fleeing from the flames and' assisted the injured to emergency stations. Frantic parents whose children were missing formed part of the throng attracted by the fire and pushed their way through the crowd, pleading to be allowed to enter the store while the fire was still burning. Police had great difficulty in holding back the crowd.

Although only three unidentified bodies were recovered the same scenes were witnessed at the morgue to which the bodies were taken, parents fighting their way into the building in search of their children.