Toddler called for mother before fire death

A toddler called for her mother telling her she had a sore chest before dying in a house fire along with her mother's friend Foxton yesterday.

The 2.15am blaze, about 40km southwest of Palmerston North, is still being investigated but it appears it was not deliberately lit, investigators say.

Firefighters carried the two victims from the front room of the house, but were unable to revive them.

Police later named the deceased woman as Atarina Emma Robinson, 22 from Waiouru, and the child as Lesharn Kiri-Leigh Taitoko, 3, who lived in the house.

Lesharn's 24-year-old mother was pulled to safety by neighbours.

She told her rescuers the last words she heard her daughter say were: "I want you Mummy, I have a sore chest," The Dominion Post reported.

Her screams after being pulled from the house alerted other neighbours to the tragedy.

Once firefighters had put the fire out, family members were left to grieve the loss, singing and performing a haka as the dead were carried from the Hulke St property to hearses.

Detective Senior Sergeant Marc Hercock said Ms Robinson had been visiting the family and was staying overnight.

He said yesterday it was too early to determine the exact cause of the fire and a number of possibilities were being looked at.

"But fire investigators are telling us that there is nothing at this stage to indicate to them that it was started deliberately."

A Fire Service spokesman said the house was equipped with smoke alarms but only one appeared to have been working.

- NZPA