Huge hostel fire in New Zealand sees at least six dead and multiple guests missing
Fire crews rushed to a hostel where at least six people have died and 30 guests are missing.
A fire has broken out at a four-storey hostel in New Zealand leaving at least six people dead with a further 30 people unaccounted for, according to the Central Wellington fire chief. The fire occurred on Monday night and although early police estimates suggest 10 people have died in the blaze, New Zealand's Prime Minister has warned the public to expect more fatalities.
The fire was already well involved on the top floor when the Fire and Emergency services were called to the Loafers Lodge hostel on Adelaide Rd, just before 12.30am.
In total around 30 people are still believed to be missing while at least six deaths have been confirmed.
Nick Pyatt, Wellington's district manager for fire and emergency services, said that 52 people from the building had been declared safe.
Although there were around 92 people living in the hostel at the time of the incident, the exact number remains uncertain.
The New Zealand Herald reports that there are fears the fire could be the result of an arson attack.
By 4am, there were 20 fire vehicles on the scene.
Mr Pyatt said: "I can sadly report that this will be a multi-fatality incident.
"Our thoughts at this time are with the families of those who have perished and with our crews who valiantly rescued those and attempted to rescue those that they couldn't."
"This is our worst nightmare. It doesn’t get worse than this."
According to the Herald, it's understood that someone was injured after they jumped out of a third-floor window to escape the flames.
He added firefighters risked their lives to save as many people as possible, and he expressed sympathy for the families of those who died in the fire
Mr Pyatt added: "Our comms centre staff [999 call-takers] who were on the phone to people who they then lost contact with. This hurts us deeply."
He added: "This is our once-in-a-decade fire for Wellington."
According to Mr Pyatt, the presence of asbestos makes the roof of the hostel vulnerable to collapsing, posing an additional risk.
In light of the asbestos risk, people in the Wellington City Business District are advised to wear a face mask, while residents in the area are advised to stay indoors with their windows and doors closed due to the smoke plume.