Nepalese couple, son burn to death

A Nepalese couple and their only son died Wednesday when fire swept through their restaurant home in New Zealand, while their three daughters safely escaped the blaze, officials said.

The family, whose names have not been released, moved to New Zealand about eight years ago, and settled in the South Island town of Waimate where they lived above their restaurant.

A Fire Service spokesman said the three surviving children, aged 10 to 24, escaped out a first floor window onto a veranda while the parents and fourth child were found inside the smoke-filled building.

"We found three people in the building and tried CPR on them to no avail," Waimate Fire Brigade chief Duncan Lyall said.

Investigators believe the fire started in an upstairs kitchen in the accommodation area.

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