Police Trying To Identify Those Dead

New Zealand Police Canterbury News Release 2:40pm

2 April 2007

The priority for the police is to identify those killed in the fire this morning at the house at Puriri Street, says Detective Inspector Greg Williams.

"We have to identify them and advise next of kin, and determine how they died," he says. "This will be a complex investigation. Until we have formal identification we cannot comment on who they might be."

The bodies are still at the scene and it is not known when they will be removed or when the post mortems are likely to be.

Police will be at the scene for some days and a wide cordon is still in place.

Anyone who may have had contact with people who lived at 95 Puriri Street are asked to contact the Inquiry team on 363 7620.

Residents who are already outside the cordon area will be escorted in to their homes if the road has not been reopened.

ENDS

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