Supermarket workers helped rescue three children from a burning two-storey building in the South Canterbury town of Waimate which claimed three lives. The two workers were trying to help the children who had escaped through a window and on to the back veranda above the Everest Indian Restaurant on Wednesday morning. Canterbury area commander Paul Henderson said fire crews from Waimate around 4 minutes after receiving the call and rescued all five from the veranda. Meanwhile, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the first floor and brought out the bodies of a fourth child and two adults. Credit: NZN Video
Three sisters orphaned after a horror house fire in South Canterbury this morning are "very scared" and mourning the loss of their parents and younger brother.
Tej Kafle, 49, wife Tika, 38, and the youngest of their four children, 9-year-old Pream, perished in a blaze that engulfed their five-bedroom flatabove their Everest Indian Restaurant in Waimate this morning.
Tej Kafle, one the victims of the Waimate fire. Photo / via Facebook
Tike Kafle, one the victims of the Waimate fire. Photo / Facebook
Waimate mayor Craig Rowley, who also owns a jewellery store in the building, said the tight-knit rural community was rallying together.
A body, which had lain beneath a blue tarpaulin on the verandah outside one of the ashen window frames, was recovered by firefighters and police staff at 2.30pm.
A spokeswoman for South Canterbury District Health Board said the three sisters remained at Timaru Hospital in stable conditions.
A Everest Mayoral Support Fund has been set up at Waimate ANZ Bank for anyone who wished to make a donation.
He kickstarted the fundraising drive with $500 from his Mayoral Discretionary Fund.
Mr Rowley said offers of help have already been flooding in from members of the community and local community groups.
"It's great to see people putting donations in already, it's quite remarkable," he said.
The triple tragedy would have a large effect on the community, Mr Rowley said.
"It is tragic for the family, tragic for the community. But as always with a small community, they rally around together.
"We need to support them and do everything we can to help them out.
"It is shocking, you couldn't ask for anything worse than for three of your community members to be killed in a fire. We'll work through it and come out the other side."
Some people making donations may have run into difficulties.
