Fire At New Zealand Hostel Kills At Least 6 People, Officials Say

NEW ZEALAND, WELLINGTON — A fire blasted through a hostel in New Zealand’s capital overnight, killing at least six people and forcing others to flee in their pajamas in what a fire chief described as his “worst nightmare.”

Six victims were discovered, but not all portions of the building had been examined because the roof on the top floor had collapsed, bringing debris down and making the area insecure, according to Bruce Stubbs, Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s incident controller.

Officials reported that 52 individuals had survived the building but were still looking for more.

Tala Sili, a tenant of Loafers Lodge, told RNZ that he observed smoke streaming through his door and opened it to find the corridor pitch-black.

“I was on the top floor and couldn’t go through the hallway because there was just too much smoke, so I jumped out the window,” Sili explained.

He claimed to have fallen onto a roof two stories below.

“It was just scary, really scary, but I knew I had to jump out the window or just burn inside the building,” Sili explained to RNZ. He said paramedics pulled him from the roof and treated him for a sprained ankle.

The Loafers Lodge catered to people of all ages by providing basic, cheap rooms with shared lounges, kitchens, and laundry facilities. Some were placed there by government agencies and were deemed vulnerable due to a lack of resources and support networks.

Around 12:30 a.m., fire fighters were called to the hostel.

The hostel contains 92 rooms, and one side is covered in billboards. The top level of the building in an industrial area near Wellington Regional Hospital had dark smoke streaks that went up the outer walls.

Around 12:30 a.m., firefighters were called to the hostel. According to emergency personnel, the building needed fire sprinklers, which Prime Minister Chris Hipkins stated were not needed by New Zealand’s building code for older buildings that would need to be modified.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, although police believe it was not intentionally set. Police Inspector Dion Bennett said the aim was to launch a full investigation Wednesday once fire officials gave them access to the structure.

Residents informed reporters that fire alarms would frequently sound in the building, potentially due to individuals smoking or too sensitive smoke detectors, so many assumed it was another false alarm.

According to Hipkins, authorities may take some time to confirm the number of deceased. Police stated they did not have a precise figure but believed the death toll was less than ten.

“It’s a total tragedy.” “It’s a terrible situation,” the prime minister told reporters. “Of course, there will be several investigations into what happened and why it happened in due course.” But, for now, the attention must be on dealing with the problem.”

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

According to health officials, two persons in the building were being treated at hospitals and in stable condition. Three other patients had been treated and released, while a sixth had chosen to depart before receiving treatment.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Wellington district manager, Nick Pyatt, said his thoughts were with the families of those who died and the workers who saved those they could and fought to save those they couldn’t.

“This is our worst nightmare,” added Pyatt. “It just doesn’t get any worse than this.”

According to Wellington City Council spokesperson Richard MacLean, city and government authorities are assisting roughly 50 people who fled the fire and are at an emergency center set up by the council near a running track with showers and other facilities.

He claimed several elderly folks had evacuated the premises wearing only their pajamas.

“A lot of people are clearly shaken and bewildered about what happened,” he said.

According to MacLean, the hostel offered both short-term and long-term rents. He needed to have all the facts, but he understood several government entities used it to make essential accommodations to clients.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters he had spoken with Hipkins and offered aid from Australia.

“This is a dreadful human tragedy,” Albanese remarked. “I expressed my condolences on behalf of Australia to our friends in New Zealand at this very difficult time.”

SOURCE – (AP)