Inside job: Hostel resident arrested, charged with two counts of arson in wake of fatal fire
New Zealand Police are confident they have their man after laying two charges of arson after the deadly Loafers Lodge hostel fire.
An exterior view of the Loafers Lodge after a fatal hostel fire in Wellington, NZ, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Multiple people are believed to be dead after a "worst nightmare" fire at a 92-room hostel in New Zealand. (AAP Image/Masanori Udagawa) NO ARCHIVING
A man will appear in Wellington District Court on Friday who police allege started the blaze on Tuesday.
At least six people were killed in the Wellington hostel fire.
Police have been interviewing survivors and reviewing CCTV evidence from the time of the fire, laying the charges late on Thursday.
“The investigation into the fire is ongoing and police have not ruled out further, more serious charges in relation to the deaths at the scene,” a police statement read.
Acting Wellington District Commander Dion Bennett said he was “confident that police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the fire”.
Local media report the charged man is a resident of Loafers Lodge aged in his 40s.
Alongside the homicide investigation, police continue to work on recovering bodies from the charred building.
There are six confirmed dead from the fire, with Insp Bennett saying earlier in the week his “gut feeling” is that the death toll may climb.
Two were extracted on Thursday and taken to Wellington Hospital’s morgue.
Police expect to transport another two bodies on Friday.
Insp Bennett said the scene investigation would be painstakingly slow, taking several days, as disaster victim identification (DVI) officers attend to the work.
Debris is stacked up to a metre high in places.
Police have not updated the number of missing people since Wednesday, when they said fewer than 20 people were unaccounted for, a tally which includes the six confirmed bodies.
There were just over 100 people in the 92-bed facility, described on its website as “Wellington’s most convenient and affordable accommodation option”.
No victims have been named.
It remains to be seen whether any of the victims have arrived from Australia, as the building was recently used to house 501 deportees.
The building was compliant with New Zealand safety regulations – which do not require sprinklers – and just received its annual building warrant of fitness.
The government says it will review regulations for high-density accommodation following the fire, New Zealand’s worst in many years.
