Wellington: At least six people were killed in a massive fire that broke out at a three-storey hostel in New Zealand’s capital Wellington on Tuesday. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins gave this information. Hipkins told a TV channel, “I have different reports, as far as I understand, six people have already been confirmed dead and it looks like the death toll may increase.” Meanwhile, several local newspapers reported that 10 people had died in the fire. Wellington District Police, however, denied these reports and said that “the initial assessment is that the death toll is less than 10,” adding that they were yet to reach inside the hostel.
Police said on social media, “It is unsafe to go inside the building and we are not in a position to say anything until we reach the building and find out how many people are still safe inside the building.” How many people have died and how many are missing. Our focus is on identifying those people as soon as possible, which we are doing.” Wellington Fire and Emergency Department said there were 52 people in the building, many of whom are still unaccounted for. Police said the fire broke out on the top floor of the three-storey hostel in Wellington at around 12:30 pm local time on Tuesday. The fire service said around 20 emergency vehicles were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze. He said crews saved five lives by reaching the roof of the building using an aerial device.
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