New Zealand
Reports: At least six dead in hostel fire
Police cordon tape hangs outside Wellington hostel after the fire while firefighters wait outside the building. photo
© Ben Mckay/AAP/dpa
The cause of the fire is not yet known. Media reports of up to 30 missing people – the number of dead could continue to rise.
At least six people died in a fire at a hostel in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, according to media reports. The newspaper “The New Zealand Herald” reported on its website that night that up to 30 others were still missing.
Other reports said more than 50 people had exited the multi-storey building. It has not been ruled out that the death toll will continue to rise. “It is with regret that I can report that this is an incident with several fatalities. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased at this time,” Nick Pyatt of the fire department was quoted as saying in the reports.
The building offers space for 92 guests. It was not known how many were in the home at the time of the fire. Pictures showed how the fire brigade put out the fire on turntable ladders from the outside at night. Five people were rescued from the roof by the emergency services, it said. It is not yet known why the fire broke out. Pyatt described the operation as his “worst nightmare”.