At least six people were killed in a fire that broke out at dawn on Tuesday in a hostel where workers and the poor live in the center of the New Zealand capital, Wellington, according to the authorities.
At least six people were killed in a fire that broke out at dawn on Tuesday in a hostel where workers and the poor live in the center of the New Zealand capital, Wellington, according to the authorities.
“It is a tragedy in every sense of the word,” said Prime Minister Chris Hepkins, noting that “six people have been confirmed dead, but the number of deaths appears likely to be higher.”
And the firefighting teams announced that 52 people had been rescued, some of them from the roof, noting that dozens of others are still missing.
On Tuesday morning, columns of smoke were rising from the four-story hostel, while about 80 firefighters, backed by 20 trucks, were working to put out the fire.
“It’s a once-in-a-decade Wellington fire. It’s our worst nightmare,” said Area Fire and Emergency Chief Nick Pyatt.
According to the rescue teams, about 90 people were in the building when the fire started, 52 of them were rescued, while six wounded were taken to a hospital for treatment, one of them in serious condition, while 15 people received treatment at the scene.
According to the authorities, a number of survivors took refuge on the roof of the building before firefighting teams rescued them through their stairs.
“They have evacuated a number of people from the roof, from an area that was directly above the fire,” Brendan Nally, deputy chief of the National Fire and Rescue Team, told Radio New Zealand.
“There was no other solution. These people would have died had our teams not intervened. Many were unharmed thanks to them,” he added.
He explained that the hostel was not equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system, and the fire alarm did not go off automatically.
One of the motel residents, Chris, told public broadcaster TVNZ that he crawled out of his room to escape the toxic smoke.
According to the mayor of the capital, Tori Wanaw, the hostel accommodates people who stay there for long periods and others who stay there for short periods.
Wanaw said in a televised interview that some of the hotel’s guests belong to vulnerable social groups, as their incomes are low.
“For our Wellington community, this is a dark day,” she added.
