A couple who were critically injured in a house fire in South Auckland this morning had been using a charcoal burner the night before to heat massage oil their newborn grandchild, their son says.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Avis Avenue, Papatoetoe, at around 11am, police said.
The family had been using the charcoal burner from around 7.30pm, when they had dinner. Son Tejendra Bhattarai said the burner had been used to heat oil for his own child, just 47 days old.
He left at around 9.30pm, after which his mother brought the charcoal burner upstairs to her bedroom, he explained.
"It's very shocking to us," Mr Bhattarai said.
The couple were found unconscious the next morning by his brother, who was concerned that they had not left for work in the morning.
"He rang me and said he had found vomit on the bed as well," he recalled. "I asked him to ring an ambulance and I'll be on the way.
"As soon as I arrived, I saw the police, ambulance and fire service."
The couple were transported to Middlemore Hospital, both in critical condition.
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