Three children among six killed in fire
Six people, including three children, died in a fire in the early hours of this morning on Kingfisher Street, located between Gordons and Erima.
According to residents, they were awakened by the sound of yelling and screaming between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m., as thick smoke and blazing flames engulfed one of the rental properties
The property, owned by a man from Hela Province, went up in flames while the tenants were asleep. The fire spread rapidly, consuming the entire building within minutes.
NCD Chief Superintendent for the PNG Fire Service, Saina Luwai, confirmed that a family of six; three children and three adults, tragically perished in the fire, which destroyed the entire property and spread to two neighboring homes.
Luwai said the fire initially started in the bottom unit, which was occupied by the family from Southern Highlands.
"We found the three children with their aunty and grandmother in one room and the father in another," he said.
"We figured that the windows were barred so it was difficult for them to escape."
The Fire Service received the emergency call at 2:56 a.m. and rushed to the scene. However, by the time they arrived, the building was already engulfed in flames. Tenants and neighbors were desperately trying to help residents of the adjacent properties escape.
Mr. Luwai said that tenants in the top unit, upon realizing the fire had started below and was spreading quickly, blocked off the doorway, broke through the bathroom window, and jumped out to safety.
One of the tenants later told firefighters that as he was fleeing the burning building, he heard the cries of one of the children and the grandmother trapped in the bottom unit. Moments later, the cries stopped, replaced only by the roar of the flames.
The PNG Fire Service managed to extinguish the blaze and save the other two properties, one of which belongs to Opposition Leader Douglas Tomurisea.
Chief Superintendent Luwai described the recovery of the six bodies as a difficult and emotional task for the police, fire service, and the local community.
He added that the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but the PNG Fire Service is working diligently to uncover the facts behind this tragic loss of life.