New Zealand fire: at least six dead and several others missing in Wellington

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By Antoinette Radford, BBC News, May 15, 2023

Updated 1 hour ago

Image source, Wellington City Council

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A fire broke out on Sunday night

New Zealand’s prime minister told local media that at least six people have died and others are still missing after a fire broke out at a motel.

Emergency services were called to the four-storey Loafers Lodge in Wellington just after midnight local time (12:30 GMT Monday).

Dozens of people were rescued from the building, but police said a number of people were still missing.

Chris Hepkins warned that the death toll is likely to increase.

Upon arriving at the scene of the fire, the firefighters found the building’s upper floor blazing. By 4:00 am, at least 20 fire engines were engaged to assist in extinguishing it.

Fire and Emergency Chief Nick Pyatt described the fire as Wellington’s “worst nightmare”.

Police warned that they could not be more specific about the number of deaths until they had access to the building.

The New Zealand Herald reported that Pyatt also said the building contained asbestos, and urged local residents to wear face masks and keep their windows closed to avoid inhaling smoke.

“This is a tragic event for all involved. My heartfelt condolences to the loved ones who lost their lives,” he said.

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The charred building in broad daylight

Local media reported that the authorities rescued at least five people from the roof of the burning building and one person was seriously injured after he jumped from the third floor of the building to escape the flames.

Mr Hipkins described the fire as “tragic” to TVNZ and praised the local firefighters “who have put themselves in harm’s way over the past hours to get people out of the building and put out the flames”, the NZ Herald reported.

“It’s an absolute tragedy and you know Wellington is a tight-knit little community,” he said on New Zealand’s AM programme.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but local media reported that police are investigating whether it was set deliberately.

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