KATHMANDU, Aug 6: Three members of a Nepali family were killed when fire raged through a restaurant in Waimate of South Canterbury town, New Zealand on Wednesday.
Tej Kafle, his wife Tika Kafle and their eight-year-old son Praem were killed in the inferno, according to Radio New Zealand News. The couple's three daughters— Tulasa, Manisha and Mamata—were rescued from the fire in accommodation above a restaurant.
The sisters suffered smoke inhalation and minor injuries and were treated at Timaru Hospital, which said all three were discharged this evening, the report stated.
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Waimate District Mayor Craig Rowley said the family had been in Waimate for about 18 months, and offers of help for the survivors were flooding in.
"I know them reasonably well because I actually own the shop next door to them and they're a hard-working immigrant family from Nepal," he said.
"Definitely part of the community. We have a strong Nepali community in the district, so hopefully they can all rally around together, with the rest of the community, and try and support the kids through this."
Investigators believe it started in the kitchen of the five-bedroomed accommodation area above the group of shops, and are trying to establish whether there were working smoke alarms.
