Three young children who perished in a horror house fire alongside their father in New Zealand have been identified.
Emergency services raced to a Sanson property in the Manawatū District on the country’s North Island on Saturday afternoon following reports of a house fully alight.
Firefighters battled the ferocious blaze for more than an hour but were unable to save the home or the four occupants trapped inside.
The bodies of two children were recovered on Sunday, along with a man believed to be their father.
Efforts to locate the body of a third child continue.
The children have been named as Goldie, August and Hugo, who were aged between one and seven.
Police and forensic officers returned to the scene on Monday to conduct a “meticulous and thorough” examination as the fatal blaze inquiry entered its third day.
Police are reportedly investigating whether the blaze was a suspected triple murder-suicide, Stuff reported.
August, Hugo and Goldie tragically lost their lives in a horror house fire in Sanson, New Zealand
The bodies of a man and two children were recovered from the gutted home on Sunday. The body of a third child is yet to be located
‘It will take us some time just to go through and establish exactly what’s happened, Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham told RNZ’s Morning Report.
‘It’s unimaginable.’
The four deaths will be referred to the coroner.
The small close-knit community with a population of 660 has rallied around the children’s grieving mother, who has lost everything.
It is understood she and the children’s father were in the process of separating, Stuff reported.
‘Our dear friend has suffered the sudden, unbearable loss of her three beloved children,’ her friends wrote on an online fundraiser.
‘They were the light and love of her life, and her entire world has been shattered.’
‘In the midst of this unimaginable grief, she also lost her home and everything she owned. She is facing the hardest journey possible, stripped of her physical security while navigating the deepest emotional pain.
Police and forensic officers returned to the scene on Monday as the investigation into the fatal blaze continues into a third day
‘Our goal is to provide her with the space and security needed to grieve in solitude, without the added stress of financial ruin.’
Almost $160,000 has been raised within two days.
‘No amount of money will ever be enough to heal the wounds left in her heart and soul, but to have this safety net to rebuild her life, knowing what feels like the whole of Aotearoa is with her, and how you have all contributed to this outpouring of love in so many ways is more than we could’ve ever hoped for,’ a fundraiser update posted on Monday read.
Police are not seeking anyone in relation to the fire.
‘The family of the deceased are devastated at the loss of their loved ones,’ Inspector Grantham said.
‘They are thankful and very grateful for the support and concern they are receiving from the community.’
