Key Points
- At least six people have died after a fire in at the Loafers Lodge hostel in Wellington.
- Some 52 people were taken out of the building after being notified of the blaze at 12.25am.
- Fire and Emergency New Zealand believes the fire was suspicious, while police say it is too early to tell.
Multiple people are dead after a "worst nightmare" fire at a 92-room hostel in New Zealand's capital.
The Loafers Lodge caught alight in the early hours of Tuesday, prompting an evacuation at the four-storey hostel in the southern Wellington suburb of Newtown.
Here's what we know so far.
Fire being treated as suspicious
52 people were taken out of the hostel building after being notified of the fire at 12.25am
Around 90 emergency personnel responded to the blaze, which was doused around sunrise on Tuesday.
Helicopters winched around five people to safety from the roof of the hostel, which was reportedly at capacity.
There were no vacancies at the hostel, which is also used for transient housing, except for a number of rooms being treated for bedbugs, Radio NZ reported.
There were around 92 residents at the 92-room hostel, but there were some visitors and some that weren't present during the fire.
Emergency services tallied 52 people as having left the building, with six bodies remaining inside.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) believes the fire was suspicious, while police say it is too early to tell.
FENZ said on Wednesday morning they would soon secure the loft for police to begin their investigation.
Police have warned the public not to expect quick answers on a final death toll, identification of victims or fire cause.
'Once-in-a-decade fire'
FENZ district manager Nick Pyatt said on Tuesday "it doesn't get worse than this" for his crews.
"This is a once-in-a-decade fire for Wellington. It's the worst nightmare for us," he said.
"This is a tragic event for all involved. My heartfelt condolences go to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives."
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealanders had woken up to "tragic news".
"I want to on behalf of the whole country, extend our support to the first responders who are on the scene, particularly our firefighters, our police, our ambulance services and others," he said.
The Loafers Lodge had a mix of short-term and longer-stay occupants, including shift workers from the nearby Wellington Hospital, welfare recipients and those under corrections orders.
"People who were affected by this were among the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our community, and they deserve our respect and our support," Green Party co-leader James Shaw told the NZ parliament on Tuesday.
"I am also very, very angry because I do have a number of questions.
"What kind of country are we that we allow this kind of thing to happen to our most vulnerable members of our community? What kind of country are we where those people have so few options in life but to live in sub-standard accommodation with a reasonable chance of lethality?"
