No Inquest On Child Burnt In Soviet Consulate

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 January 1949, Page 5

No Inquest On Child Burnt In Soviet Consulate

LONDON, Jan. 15 (Rec. 6 pm).— The Paddington coroner (Mr Neville Stafford) said he would make no arrangements for an inquest on Alla Abranova, three-year-old daughter of a Soviet Consulate official, who died after being injured in a fire at the Consulate, as the Russians requested diplomatic immunity. Alla Abranova died in hospital after being rescued. Soviet officials, at first saying: “Keep out; this is Soviet territory," refused to allow firemen, police and ambulance men to enter the consulate, but an air hostess, Jean Rougier Watkins, dashed past officials to the baby on the blazing second floor. The baby’s cot and nightdress were alight when Miss Rougier Watkins snatched thee hild in her aims and ran to safety. Four other persons, including the child’s mother, were rescued from the room by an escape ladder. The fire, which started when a gas stove exploded, was confined to one i oom. Some British newspapers carried reports of the fire which distorted the actual facts and contained false assertions, cynically using the unhappy incident for political propaganda purposes, said a statement from the press department of the Soviet Embassy today. When Miss Rougier Watkins read the Soviet Embassy statement she' said: “I am speechless. It is entirely wrong. What. I said was the truth. People standing around saw what happened. If they aren’t grateful, then to hell with them.” Earler Miss Watkins, describing her part in the incident, said: “I saw a girl at the window next to a man beating the banes with her fists. As I tore up the staircase I had to fight a stream of people racing down. They knocked me aside. When I got into the smoke-filled nursery a man handed the baby to me and I dashed downstairs trying to beat out the flames of her burnng nightdress. ’ during the holidays. She was tnT ing more of possible burglary than fire. The collection is now at the home of Mr. L. L. J. Grice, of Herne Bay, after being at the school of art for about two months being mounted in preparation for their exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery next April. * I thought it might be a bit risky leaving them at the school when it closed, so I asked Mr. Grice to return them to his home,” Miss Eiss said today. An accurate estimate of the value of the destroyed building could not be obtained today. Under depreciation the old building was of little value, but its sound timber would have been itill valuable for garage construction ind other work. The damage to the contents amounted to several thousands of pounds.