New Zealand fire: In a tragic incident, at least six people have been injured after a fire ripped through a hostel in New Zealand’s capital Wellington on Monday late night. Speaking about the incident, a fire chief called it his “worst nightmare,” as people were forced to the four-story building in their pyjamas.

Meanwhile, Nick Pyatt — Wellington Fire and Emergency District Manager — said fifty-two people in the Loafers Lodge hostel in Wellington had been accounted for, but firefighters were still looking for others. 

Death toll likely to increase

Speaking to the local media, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said that he understood that six people were confirmed dead and the number of fatalities would likely rise. Police said they did not have an exact count of the number of dead, although they believe the total number of fatalities was less than 10.

Hipkins said the building was not currently safe for police to enter and it could take authorities some time to confirm the number of dead.

What New Zealand PM said about the tragedy? 

“It is an absolute tragedy. It is a horrific situation,” the Prime Minister told reporters. “In the fullness of time, of course, there will be a number of investigations about what has happened and why it happened. But for now, the focus clearly has to be on dealing with the situation,” he added. 

Responding to comments from emergency officials that the building had no fire sprinklers, Hipkins said it was not currently a requirement of New Zealand’s building code for older buildings to be retrofitted with sprinkler systems.

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Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said city and government officials were helping about 50 people who escaped the fire and were at an emergency center the council set up at a local running track that had showers and other facilities.

He said a number of elderly people had escaped the building with only the pyjamas they were wearing. “A lot are clearly shaken and bewildered about what happened,” he said.

About Loafers Lodge hostel

The hostel provided a combination of short-term and long-term rentals, MacLean said. He didn’t have all the details, he said, but he believed it was used by various government agencies to provide clients with needed accommodation.

It should be mentioned here that Loafers Lodge advertises itself as an affordable place for people to stay while they are in the capital, whether on business or needing to visit the nearby Wellington Hospital. It has 92 rooms and promotes them as being available long term.

(With AP inputs) 

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