A hostel in Wellington burned, many people died, some are still missing © IMAGO/BEN MCKAY
Due to a fire in a hostel in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, up to 30 people are currently missing, six people are said to be already dead.
Update from May 16, 7:20 a.m.: At least six people have died in a devastating fire in a hostel in New Zealand's capital Wellington. About a dozen other residents were still missing, according to police on Tuesday afternoon (local time). The fire in the three-storey building broke out shortly after midnight for an unknown reason. Several people were taken to hospital, two were in critical condition, it said.
As reported by The Guardian, the hostel was reportedly full or almost full. According to residents, lawyers and the local health authority, the dormitory was home to a number of shift workers, the elderly, health care workers, and long-term and short-term guests, including low-income people and those who were only "temporarily" in New Zealand.
According to the police, the death toll could only be determined after entering the building. According to the British daily, rescue workers are still figuring out how to get into the collapsed or otherwise dangerous parts of the building to search for bodies. "The building is quite badly damaged," and parts of the roof collapsed," said Brendon Nally, deputy national commander of New Zealand's Fire and Rescue Service.
New Zealand's chief coroner, Judge Anna Tutton, warned that identifying the victims would take time. "Identifying people who have died in a fire can be a complex and time-consuming process. It is crucial that this identification process is carried out properly and that no mistakes are made," she said in a statement.
Dormitory passed fire inspection – cause of fire still unclear
According to the NZ Herald, authorities have confirmed that there was no sprinkler system in the building. However, as New Zealand's Housing Minister Megan Woods explained, the dormitory recently underwent a fire inspection. The dormitory had passed a fire inspection carried out in February this year.
"This building didn't fulfill all the commitments it had to fulfill as a building until the beginning of this year – it was inspected in February and awarded the BWOF on March 3," Woods said.
Prime Minister Hipkins announced a "thorough investigation" into the disaster. In due course, it will be checked "whether all regulations have been complied with in this building", but at the moment the focus is "on supporting our fire brigade", said the head of government.
Devastating fire in hostel in New Zealand: Numerous dead and up to 30 missing
Original article from May 15, 2023: Wellington – A major fire has broken out in a four-storey dormitory in New Zealand's capital Wellington, the NZ Herald newspaper reports. According to the newspaper, the fire chief described it as his "worst nightmare."
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"Unfortunately, I can report that this is an incident with several fatalities. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased and with our emergency responders who have valiantly tried to rescue those who could not be saved," said Nick Pyatt, District Deputy of the Fire Department.
Police estimate that several people died in the fire, the number is said to be less than ten. Authorities say about 30 people are still missing and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he expects the death toll to rise.
Dead in fire in hostel in New Zealand © Nick James/ dpa
30 missing and six dead after fire in dormitory New Zealand
The hostel is said to have room for 92 people, but it is not clear how many people were in the building at the time of the fire. So far, 52 people are said to have been found, Pyatt said.
The alarm was triggered around four o'clock in the morning and quickly 20 fire engines were on site. There is currently speculation as to whether the fire was set on purpose.