Flame fire in New Zealand hostel claims at least 6 dead Severe storms in northern Italy: about 900 people evacuated

At least six people have been killed in a devastating fire at a hostel in the New Zealand capital Wellington. About a dozen other residents were still missing on Tuesday evening (local time), according to police. The fire in the three-storey building broke out shortly after midnight for reasons that are still unclear. Several people have been taken to hospital, two are in critical condition, it said.

Because it was initially impossible to enter the hostel for security reasons, the exact number of victims is unclear, police spokesman Dion Bennett told reporters in the afternoon. The six victims have been located but have not yet been recovered. It will not be until the building is secured on Wednesday that other dead will be searched for in previously inaccessible areas. The roof had collapsed on the top floor and everything was in ruins there, he added.

More than 50 people were rescued from the burning building, Radio New Zealand reported, citing authorities. Some escaped to the roof. The media quoted the local fire chief as saying the inferno was “the worst nightmare”. “It doesn’t get much worse than that.” The emergency services would have risked their lives to save as many trapped people as possible.

The 92-room Loafers Lodge is located in Newtown, a suburb of Wellington. It housed many long-term residents, including the elderly, survivors said. One man said he jumped out of a window onto a roof in panic. “It was scary, but I knew I had to jump or I would have been burned in the building.”

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said: “It is an absolute tragedy and a terrible situation.” The cause of the fire is still unclear. “Of course there will be some investigations over time into what happened and why it happened, but for now the focus should be on managing the situation,” he said. According to initial information, there were no sprinkler systems in the hostel.

The fire brigade was in action with a large contingent. Videos circulated on the Internet showed huge flames raging, especially on the upper floors. A coroner said identifying the victims was difficult and could take a long time.

It is not clear how many people were in the hostel at the time of the fire. “We have yet to compile a list of everyone who was here last night, so we’re not going to speculate on how many there were,” police spokesman Bennett said.

A local Wellington politician said some “extremely traumatised people” who survived the fire were being cared for in evacuation centres. “Many people lost everything they owned there.” (sda/dpa)