At least six dead in New Zealand hostel fire

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At least six people died in a fire in a hostel in the New Zealand capital Wellington on Tuesday evening (local time). According to the fire service, 52 people were rescued, many of them through the roof of the building. However, dozens of people are still missing. According to the fire service, there were about 90 people in the hostel when the fire broke out.

It is feared that the number of victims will continue to rise. The ruined Loafers Lodge is located in Newtown, a suburb of Wellington. More than 50 people were rescued from the burning building. Some escaped to the roof. Media quoted firefighters as saying the blaze was “the worst nightmare”. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (44) said: “It is an absolute tragedy and a terrible situation.” The cause of the fire was still unclear.

No sprinkler, no fire alarm

High flames and thick smoke could be seen over the roof of Loafers Lodge in the center of town as 80 firefighters with 20 engines battled the blaze in the early hours of the morning. They rescued people from the roof using a ladder, said fire service spokesman Brendan Nally.

“They took quite a few people off the roof of an area directly above the fire,” Nally told Radio New Zealand. “There was no other way. These people would have died if our team had not intervened.” There is no sprinkler system in the hostel and the fire alarm did not go off automatically, he added.

Rescue on all fours

A hostel resident, who gave only his first name – Chris – told public broadcaster TVNZ that he crawled out of his room on all fours to escape the thick smoke. He came to the stairwell, which was black and full of smoke. “It was hard to breathe. Everything is gone. My room is destroyed. I grabbed my e-cigarette and phone instead of my shoes,” he said.

The fire was “an absolute tragedy,” New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said. It is “likely” that there will be more deaths. Hipkins said the hostel was home to a large number of shift workers, so it’s unclear how many people were inside when the fire broke out.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau, 40, said she feared “much more” than six deaths. It was “absolutely shocking”. Both long- and short-term guests stayed at the hostel, including those on low incomes and those who were only “temporarily” in New Zealand. “It’s a dark day for us in Wellington,” she said in a televised interview.

Many injured

According to the emergency medical service, six people were taken to hospital with injuries, one of them in life-threatening condition. Another 15 people were treated at the scene.

A police officer initially said the death toll was expected to be “less than ten”, but the number of fatalities could not be determined until after entering the building.

Prime Minister Hipkins announced a “thorough investigation” into the disaster. In time, it will be checked “whether all regulations are met in this building”, but the focus is currently “on supporting our fire brigade”, according to the head of government. (SDA/AFP)

Source: Blick