One of three young children who died following a Manawatū house fire over the weekend was aged just one, police say.
The blaze broke out at a home in Sanson around 2.30pm on Saturday, prompting a significant emergency services response.
The three children were identified in a Givealittle page as August, Hugo, and Goldie.
Friends rally to support mother in wake of Sanson fire – Watch on TVNZ+
Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham this afternoon confirmed the children were aged 7, 5 and 1 but they could not be formally identified at this stage.
“This is a complex scene and we’re having to work around a number of challenges in the property such as dust and unsafe structure,” Grantham told reporters this afternoon.
Grantham acknowledged the families, first responders and investigators involved in “what is a very emotional and difficult case”.
“At this early stage, we’re still working to determine why this incident unfolded and why three innocent children lost their lives.”
Grantham said it’s unknown at this stage how the fire started.
He confirmed the body of a third child was recovered late this morning. The bodies of two of the children and an adult man were recovered yesterday.
He continued: “I know the community have lots of questions about this case, as do we. But at this stage, we’re still working to determine the intent and circumstances around the incident and have yet to rule it a homicide.
“While this investigation is ongoing, there are many questions that we do not yet have answers to, but every investigator on this case remains committed to finding out why and how this tragedy occurred.”
Police said the man was found in the dwelling and was not burned, but the three children were. (Source: 1News)
Grantham said it was “unimaginable how the horror and the heartache that this family are going through so it’s great for the community to support them”.
He confirmed that the man – the children’s father – was found in the house but did not suffer burns.
A post-mortem will be carried out this week.
Police were not seeking anyone in relation to the fire.
The matter has been referred to the coroner.
‘Sudden, unbearable loss’
In a Givealittle page set up yesterday evening, friends of the family paid tribute to the grieving mother.
“Our dear friend has suffered the sudden, unbearable loss of her three beloved children, her angels … They were the light and love of her life, and her entire world has been shattered,” they wrote.
The page said, “in the midst of this unimaginable grief, she also lost her home and everything she owned”.
The woman said she’d set up the page to “create a safety net” for the children’s mother.
“She is facing the hardest journey possible, stripped of her physical security while navigating the deepest emotional pain.”
In an update on Monday, the organisers of the fundraiser thanked “what feels like the whole of Aotearoa” for the outpouring of “immediate generous financial support”.
The page raised more than $180,000 in donations as of 2.30pm this afternoon.
“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.”
