4 Jun 2013

Faulty generator suspected as cause of fatal fire

7:40 pm on 4 June 2013

The owner of a Rotorua warehouse where a teenage girl died in a fire suspects it was caused by a faulty generator.

Mihinui Tamiana, 14, died in the Riri Street building early on Sunday. A post-mortem was held on Monday.

Another teenager is in Waikato Hospital in a critical but stable condition.

Warehouse owner Don McCarrison said that on Friday he secured the building, which the son of one of the tenants had been using to throw parties, but people had broken in.

Mr McCarrison said there was a large party on Saturday, which police broke up, but several teenagers went back in afterwards to stay the night and restart the generator.

Police have examined the scene of the fire but are yet to comment on the cause.

The girl's family are still trying to find out how she came to be in the building. Spokesperson Geordie McKinnon said they are trying to come terms with the death.