3 Oct 2012

PM happy to assist family over Doha fire

10:08 pm on 3 October 2012

Prime Minister John Key says he would be happy to intervene directly to help the New Zealand family who lost their children in the deadly Doha shopping mall fire to get answers.

Nineteen people, including Martin and Jane Weekes' two-year-old triplets, were killed in a blaze at the Villagio Mall in the Qatari capital in May this year.

An official report found that the fire started in the roof of a Nike shop when a light failed.

But Saudi-based news organisation Al Arabiya says it has documents showing Syria's President Bashar al-Assad might have planned the fire to embarrass Qatar.

Mr Key says Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and his ministry have been dealing with the family so far, but he could step in if needed.