At least six people died and five were injured, two of them seriously, in a fire that broke out on Tuesday at a shelter for workers and vulnerable people in the center of the New Zealand capital, Wellington.
“It’s a real tragedy,” New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said, adding that “six deaths have been confirmed. But more seem likely.”
The emergency services estimate that 94 people were at the Loafers Lodge when the fire broke out around midnight (11:00 a.m. Monday in Lisbon).
Some 10 residents are still missing, while 52 have been rescued, some of them after fleeing to the roof of the four-story building, where they were rescued by firefighters.
“Several people were pulled off the roof, onto an area that was directly above the flames,” National Fire and Rescue Service Deputy Commander Brendan Nally told Radio New Zealand.
There were no sprinklers at the hostel, which has 92 rooms, and the fire alarm did not go off automatically, Nally lamented.
Six people were taken to hospital and 15 others were treated at the scene, according to Wellington Emergency Services.
“A fire like this only happens once every 10 years in Wellington. It’s our worst nightmare,” said emergency services coordinator Nick Pyatt.
Wellington’s mayor said the hostel welcomes short-term and long-term residents. According to Tory Whanau, some are vulnerable people, living on low incomes or “transients” in New Zealand, a country experiencing a housing crisis.
The prime minister promised a “comprehensive analysis” of the disaster.
“We will have the opportunity to verify that this building complies with all the rules that it was supposed to follow. But obviously the focus right now is on supporting our firefighters,” said Chris Hipkins.
The cause of the fire remains “unexplained” for now, police said, announcing the opening of a joint investigation with the fire department.
Source: TSF
