New Zealand boy, 8, dies after fall into steaming geothermal pool

A BOY has died in a New Zealand hospital after being scalded head to foot when he fell into a geothermal pool which could have been as hot as 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius), a hospital spokeswoman said.

It was not clear immediately how the eight-year-old was burned while visiting Kuirau Park in the North Island city of Rotorua, which is known for its steaming geothermal geysers and hot mud and water pools.

Witness Anna Kare said the boy was screaming in agony as a teenager carried him to his parents after the accident, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.