The fire in a hostel in New Zealand's capital was apparently set. It is hoped to quickly identify suspects, the police said.
There are still missing people. The exact number of victims remains unclear. Dozens of people had been rescued from the burning building. Some fled to the roof. The damage is considerable. The roof had collapsed and some of the burned debris was about a meter high. The fire in the multi-storey "Loafers Lodge" broke out late on Monday evening.