Inferno: one dead, one critical

Photo / Stuart Munro

An elderly woman has died and another is in critical condition after they were pulled from a burning house in Wanganui last night.

The women, believed to be aged 69 and 73, were taken to Wanganui Hospital after their Golf Vue Place home caught fire.

Wanganui Fire Service received the call at 5.56pm and were on the scene within three minutes, senior station officer Gary Wilson said.

Four fire engines attended.

Dorothy Brewer, who lived down the street, said she was a friend of the women and was in shock after seeing the blaze.

Mrs Brewer said she saw firefighters take her friends out of the house and perform CPR on them in the driveway.

"I'm still shocked. I can't cry," she said.

"I've got palpitations - I think it's just shock, isn't it?"

Photo/Stuart Munro

Dot Turner, who lived up the hill, said she heard an explosion and saw an "inferno" in the middle bedroom of the house.

"To have so much heat in one room - why? It looked like an inferno, just that one room," Mrs Turner said.

"All of a sudden it just lit up like a searchlight."

The woman died in hospital yesterday evening.

There were no other occupants in the house at the time of the fire. The property sustained significant damage.

Detective Senior Sergeant Neil Forlong of Whanganui CIB said preliminary indications suggest the fire was not suspicious.

"However we will be carrying out a thorough investigation alongside a fire scene investigator to determine the cause which at this stage is unknown."

A scene examination will be conducted at the property today.

Police will not release any further details about the deceased until their next of kin has been informed.