New Zealand hostel fire: At least six dead and more missing in Wellington

At slightest six radical person died and others stay unaccounted for pursuing a occurrence successful a hostel, New Zealand's premier curate has told section media.

Emergency services were called to the four-storey gathering successful Wellington conscionable aft midnight section clip (12:30 GMT) to reports the gathering was alight.

Dozens were rescued from the building, but constabulary said a fig of radical remained unaccounted for.

Chris Hipkins warned the fig of dormant was apt to increase.

Upon accomplishment astatine the blaze, firefighters recovered the apical level of the gathering ablaze. By 04:00 astatine slightest 20 occurrence trucks were progressive successful helping extinguish it.

Fire and Emergency District commandant Nick Pyatt described the occurrence arsenic Wellington's "worst nightmare".

Police warned they could not beryllium much circumstantial connected the fig of deaths until they could entree the building.

Mr Pyatt besides said the gathering contained asbestos and urged locals to deterioration a look disguise and support their windows closed to debar inhaling the smoke, the New Zealand Herald reported.

"This is simply a tragic lawsuit for each involved. My heartfelt condolences spell to the loved ones of those who person mislaid their lives", helium said.

Authorities rescued astatine slightest 5 radical from the extortion of the burning gathering and 1 idiosyncratic sustained superior injuries aft jumping from the 3rd level of the gathering to flight the flames, section media reported.

Mr Hipkins described the occurrence arsenic "tragic" to TVNZ and paid tribute to section firefighters "who person enactment themselves successful harm's mode implicit past hours to get radical retired of the gathering and enactment the occurrence out", the NZ Herald reported.

"It's an implicit calamity and you know, Wellington is simply a tiny close-knit community", helium said to New Zealand's AM show.

The origin of the blaze is presently unknown, but section media reported that constabulary were investigating whether it was deliberately lit.