The community has started a Givealittle page to collect funds for the Indian couple injured in the New Windsor house fire on Tuesday, July 4.
Geena Dominic and her husband Biju lived in the rented property on Mary Dreaver St in New Windsor and survived the blaze that happened just after 6 a.m. The investigation revealed that the fire started with an explosion caused by a gas leak.
Geena Dominic, in her early thirties, was taken in a serious condition to Middlemore Hospital while Biju suffered moderate burns and was rushed to Auckland Hospital.
The massive explosion ripped the house into two halves and woke the residents in the area who described the blast as a ‘loud thunder’. The house was engulfed in a fireball, but the two occupants managed to escape with moderate to severe burns.
The incident has thus left the duo with no place to live, and the fire destroyed every possession in the house.
“They did not have content insurance and everything they had in the house, right from furniture to personal stuff, everything is destroyed,” Salesh Lal, a friend of the couple who started the Givealittle page said.
The Givealittle page reads ‘New Windsor couple need help to start over’ has collected a few thousand dollars as on Wednesday, July 12 from funds donated by some 95 gracious donors to help the couple in despair.
Screenshot of the Givealittle page created for the victim house
"The funds will help Geena and Biju to start life over again. It will help them get back on a rental market as soon as they leave the hospital, and support them until they are able to get back to work,” Mr Lal said.
The Auckland Malayali Samajam, the community group for the Malayali community in Auckland also met the couple and will make all necessary arrangements for them.
“We are liaising with the High Commission of India in New Zealand to help them get their passports and other documents sorted,” Blessen M Jose, vice president of the Auckland Malayali Samajam told The Indian Weekender.
The neighbours of the couple in the New Windsor and Blockhouse Bay area too are collecting funds to help the couple.
“Please continue to give and also pray for them as we are waiting on further funding to help them settle down and start life again as per normal, which will definitely take some time. God bless,” their Givealittle page reads.
To donate: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/newwindsorhouseexplosion