Donations pour in for fire family

Clothes, toys and food have been donated by a grieving community to four young children left without their mother after she died in a house fire in Christchurch.

Tania Roimata Kahukiwa was killed when a blaze broke out in her home in Aranui in the early hours of Friday.

Her partner, Johnny Wiare Tawhi, managed to escape with one of their children and suffered minor injuries but Kahukiwa was trapped inside, her body found later by firefighters.

An autopsy was carried out on Saturday, and fire investigators and police are still carrying out inquiries as to the cause of the blaze.

Scores of people have since answered an online appeal for clothes and toys for her children, with supplies donated through Bristol Barbers in Wainoni, offers coming in from as far away as Timaru.

Kahukiwa, 31, and Tawhi had six children together, four of whom – a daughter of 11 and sons of 10, 8 and 2 – lived with them at their home in Gosport St.

Another two sons, aged 7 and 1, were adopted by the wider wha¯ nau.

Her family remembered her as a ‘‘lovely, funny and humble’’ woman who would do anything for her friends and

The fatal Gosport St fire site in Aranui on Friday morning.

community. Anania Tawhi, her uncle, told The Press: ‘‘Tania was one who gave out a lot of love. She was very caring – everything she did in life was for her kids and wha¯nau. She would never let anyone down, she just knew how much specific things meant to everyone.’’

Tawhi said the support shown by the community at such a difficult time had been ‘‘overwhelming’’.

‘‘It is hard for our wha¯ nau as we don’t like to be bothered,’’ he said.

‘‘We are quite private and don’t expect people to be running around for us, we expect to do it for them.

‘‘We can’t thank the community enough for the support for our beautiful baby. We can feel the love, definitely.’’