Two adults and a child have been killed in a fire at a restaurant in Waimate this morning.
At 7:45am, the Waimate Fire Service was called to a fire at the Everest Indian Restaurant in Queen Street. The fire was well established by the time emergency services arrived but they managed to rescue three children from the verandah at the back of the restaurant.
The children suffered smoke inhalation and minor injuries.
When the Fire Service entered the building, they located the bodies of three people from the premises.
The victims of the tragic blaze have recently been identified as parents Tej and Tika Kafle and their son, Prame. They are survived by daughters Mamata, Manisha and Tulsa.
Following offers of help flooding in from members of the community, Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley has set up an account for the Kafle family.
The name of the account is "Everest Mayoral Support Fund" at the Waimate ANZ Bank.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.