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For most of the 81 years Bob Passey has lived near the cliff which toppled into a river killing three children last night, he has worried about it collapsing on top of swimmers.
Three children died at dusk last night when the cliff fell on them as they played in the Pohangina River about 30km north east of Palmerston North.
For retired farmer and local justice of the peace Bob Passey, 81, it was an accident waiting to happen and he said today the area should have had warning signs.
"I have always worried about it. I have seen kids up there playing around right under the cliff," he said today.
"If I had had young kids I wouldn't have wanted them over there because there has always been the possibility that something like this would happen."
He said with all the rain in the area recently the cliff would have been sodden.
"I have always worried about watching kids there in the summertime playing over there. You can see the little slips have come down. It happens every winter," he said.
Mr Passey, who farmed in the area for most of his working life, said the area should have had warning signs for people not to get too close to the cliff.
"There should have been warning signs. There will have to be from now on," he said. "But in the river they probably thought they were perfectly safe."
Senior Constable Mark Glentworth of Ashhurst police said today that two 13-year-old boys and an eight-year-old girl died in the accident.
A rescue helicopter pilot, who declined to be named, said yesterday that a brother and sister were among those killed.
Mr Glentworth said the two boys and girl were pushed underwater and received fatal injuries.
Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council has closed the park and the cliff face collapse will be part of a coroner's investigation.
Council chairman Garrick Murfitt said he was devastated by the accident.
Horizons had taken over the management of the Totara Reserve four months ago, he said.
Mr Murfitt said the regional body and the Manawatu District Council -- who had joint responsibility for the park -- would work together to determine what happened.
- NZPA
