Damage is seen on the Loafers Lodge hostel building following a fatal fire in Wellington on May 16, 2023. At least six people have been killed in a fire that erupted in the early hours of Tuesday in a four-storey hostel in Wellington, capital city of New Zealand.
- New Zealand police suspect a hostel fire that broke out on Tuesday may have been arson.
- The blaze killed six people.
- Nearly 20 people are reported missing.
New Zealand police said on Wednesday a fire at a hostel in the capital, Wellington, in which at least six people were killed, was suspected to have been arson, and they had opened a homicide inquiry.
A blaze broke out on the top floor of the Loafers Lodge in the suburb of Newtown in the early hours of Tuesday, causing significant structural damage that is hampering recovery efforts.
Following a health and safety assessment, police said investigators hoped to enter the 92-room building in the afternoon to begin their investigation, and find and identify the dead.
“This scene examination will be an extensive and methodical process, and we expect it to take some time – likely several days,” Acting Wellington District Commander Dion Bennett said.
“I can confirm that we are treating the fire as arson.”
The hostel provided accommodation for construction workers, hospital staff and those serving sentences in the community for minor crimes, among other people.
WATCH | New Zealand Hostel fire leaves 6 people dead
Police said on Wednesday that some people were missing, putting the number at less than 20 people. They said some of the missing residents of the hostel might just be unaccounted for.
The cause of the fire was unknown, but police said there was a couch fire late on Monday, two hours before the fatal fire, but it had not been reported to emergency services at the time.
Bennett said:
We will be seeking to confirm any link between that couch fire and the subsequent fatal fire.
Earlier on Wednesday, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) deemed it safe for police to enter the building.
“The next step for us is going through and ensuring that there isn’t anybody else in there and obviously working with police to investigate and support them in removing the six people,” FENZ region manager Bruce Stubbs told Radio New Zealand.
