WELLINGTON, New Zealand — At least six individuals have been killed after a fireplace erupted in a single day Tuesday in a hostel in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins mentioned.
“It is an absolute tragedy,” Mr. Hipkins advised reporters at Parliament on Tuesday. “It is horrific situation.”
The reason for the fireplace was nonetheless being investigated. There can be “a number of investigations” into the catastrophe, the prime minister mentioned.
The hostel has no sprinklers, and the fireplace alarm didn’t go off robotically, in response to Brendan Neally, a fireplace service spokesman, advised Radio New Zealand.
Four individuals have been hospitalized, one in a critical situation, and 52 residents have been rescued, 5 from the roof of the four-story constructing.
The whole variety of confirmed useless is just not but identified as a result of the constructing remains to be not protected for law enforcement officials or firefighters to enter, Inspector Dean Silvester, a police spokesman, mentioned in a press release.
About 90 firefighters battled the blaze at its peak, and the fireplace was put out about 6 a.m.
New Zealand’s social welfare company had used the hostel for emergency housing for its shoppers. Residents of the hostel, which supplies low-cost short- and long-term lodging in 92 rooms, have been “fairly transient,” Inspector Silvester advised reporters.
The blaze was a “once in a decade” occasion for the town, mentioned Nick Pyatt, the fireplace and emergency district supervisor for Wellington. “It’s the worst nightmare for us,” he added.
On Tuesday morning, firefighters have been nonetheless on the website of the fireplace, lower than a mile from the middle of the town, and Adelaide Road — a busy arterial connection to the town — was closed off.
Source: www.nytimes.com