House fire

Grandmother and granddaughter perish in house fire in Tonga

Tonga Police said they received a report of the tragic incident around 4am on Saturday.

The deceased persons were the only people inside the house when the fire broke out.

The Tonga Fire & Emergency Services with Tonga Police actively attended the scene.

Kaniva News reports neighbours tried frantically to put out the fire and rescue Seluvaia Taukolo and her granddaughter Victoria Grace but were unsuccessful.

Seluvaia’s daughter Vika Taukolo shared her grief on social media.

Flames engulf house in Tongatapu

The house was fully alight by the time firefighters arrived.

In livestreamed videos shared to Facebook onlookers could be heard saying that no one was injured reports Kaniva News.

Some said they were waiting for the emergency services while the house could be seen in the videos being completely engulfed by the blaze.

The sound of glass breaking and explosions inside the house were loud enough to be heard over the videos.  

People were seen pushing a parked bus away from the fire.

Firefighters break down gates to try and put out fire at Tufumāhina royal residence

A video taken at the scene showed black smoke billowing as the house went up in flames at Tufumāhina royal residence reports Kaniva News.

The video, which was shared to Facebook Saturday night, also appeared to show two fire engines remained park outside the high fence property while the firefighters were trying to break down the gates.

It was unclear whether or not the fire was brought under control. The video camera man followed the fire engines to the scene after the gates were opened but he was told to leave.

House fire claims two lives in Tonga

Fire engines from the Longolongo station rushed to the home, opposite the Nuku’alofa Central Police Station on Salote Rd, shortly after 12am today.

“Two people have been located deceased inside the property,” a family member told Kaniva News.

He said three other people including two elderly persons “ongo vaivai” were taken to hospital.

The big old white house was known to many as the Percival residence.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

 

Photo Kaniva News 

     

Five children killed in US daycare centre fire

The fire was reported in Erie, a northwest lake town, at about 1.15am on Sunday (local time), Chief Guy Santone of the Erie Fire Department said.

The victims ranged in ages from 8 months to 7 years, Santone said. The Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership lists a daycare centre at the fire address.

Valerie Lockett-Slupski, standing across the street from the fire-damaged house, said she was the grandmother of four of the children, and that they were staying at the daycare centre because their parents were working overnight, the Erie Times-News reported.

Regent's house targetted in riot in remote Papuan town

The crowd involved in the riot in Oksibil town also blockaded the local airport in the remote regency abutting the border with Papua New Guinea.

According to the Jakarta Post, the unrest was triggered by disappointment over the regent's failure to give prizes to participants of a fun walk event held to celebrate his district's 15th anniversary.

Locals reported that police were unable to quell the riot, and many local residents who feared for their safety sought refuge in local churches and mosques.

Authorities temporarily closed the airport.

 

Bleak Christmas for Holonga family

Pitikeni and Tupou Fungavaka and their two young sons aged three and one lost all their belongings.

Pitikeni told Kaniva News he was thankful no one was killed in the fire.

The blaze erupted and destroyed the house on Wednesday at around 3.30pm, he said.

Fire fighters were at the scene.

Pitikeni said he was at work when he received  a text message saying his house was on fire.

He posted a message on Facebook with a screenshot of the text message.

“This is the message I will never ever forget,” he wrote in Tongan.

Fire engulfs vacant house in Kolofoʻou

The fire broke out in the wooden house opposite the Seventh Day Adventist Church compound at Railway Road yesterday morning.

The owner of the house Kimami Sitauti is residing in Australia with his family.

The 14.8m long and 8.5m wide house was unoccupied at the time of the blaze.

Radio and Television Tonga witnessed the firemen trying to control the blaze, and a van which was parked outside the house which was also caught on fire.

4 dead in Jersey shore house fire that may be murder-suicide

The fire was reported late Tuesday in the family's Long Branch home, not far from the beach.

When firefighters arrived, the victims were "found in the same upstairs bedroom and they were struggling to survive," said Marc LeMieux, first assistant Monmouth County prosecutor.

A couple and their two children were taken to a hospital, where they died. Some of their injuries were unrelated to the fire, LeMieux said.