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| Loafers Lodge fire: Man charged with NZ hostel fire murders | Loafers Lodge fire: Man charged with NZ hostel fire murders |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Loafers Lodge blaze in Wellington last month killed five people | The Loafers Lodge blaze in Wellington last month killed five people |
| New Zealand police have charged a 48-year-old man with five counts of murder in relation to a deadly hostel fire. | New Zealand police have charged a 48-year-old man with five counts of murder in relation to a deadly hostel fire. |
| He had already been detained and charged with arson over the blaze in Wellington last month. | He had already been detained and charged with arson over the blaze in Wellington last month. |
| Loafers Lodge, a four-storey emergency housing hostel in the capital, burned down on 16 May killing five people. | Loafers Lodge, a four-storey emergency housing hostel in the capital, burned down on 16 May killing five people. |
| The incident has renewed debate about New Zealand's housing crisis as the site had been home to members of vulnerable and marginalised groups. | The incident has renewed debate about New Zealand's housing crisis as the site had been home to members of vulnerable and marginalised groups. |
| Located just a block away from Wellington city hospital, many hospital workers had also relied on it for short-term accommodation. | Located just a block away from Wellington city hospital, many hospital workers had also relied on it for short-term accommodation. |
| Wellington Police told reporters on Thursday they had informed victims' families of the prosecution's charges. They did not provide any detail of allegations. | |
| The fatal blaze occurred on 16 May, shortly after midnight local time. Police soon after launched a homicide inquiry, and said they were treating the blaze as an act of arson. | The fatal blaze occurred on 16 May, shortly after midnight local time. Police soon after launched a homicide inquiry, and said they were treating the blaze as an act of arson. |
| The victims were five men aged between 50 and 67, police said. | |
| At least 99 residents had been living in the building on the night of the fire. | At least 99 residents had been living in the building on the night of the fire. |
| When it broke out, some were forced to crawl through smoke to safety. Others huddled on the roof while waiting to be rescued. | When it broke out, some were forced to crawl through smoke to safety. Others huddled on the roof while waiting to be rescued. |
| One lodger, Tala Sili, said he had jumped from his window to escape the flames. | One lodger, Tala Sili, said he had jumped from his window to escape the flames. |
| "I was on the top floor, and I couldn't go through the hallway because there was just too much smoke so I jumped out the window," he had earlier told national broadcaster RNZ. | "I was on the top floor, and I couldn't go through the hallway because there was just too much smoke so I jumped out the window," he had earlier told national broadcaster RNZ. |
| "It smelt like poison," he said. | "It smelt like poison," he said. |
| Amid conflicting accounts from residents, Wellington's fire authorities last month said they could not confirm whether smoke alarms had gone off in the building. | Amid conflicting accounts from residents, Wellington's fire authorities last month said they could not confirm whether smoke alarms had gone off in the building. |
| Many people in New Zealand have been cut out of the housing market due to sky-high property prices, rising rents and a shortage of government-subsidised homes. | Many people in New Zealand have been cut out of the housing market due to sky-high property prices, rising rents and a shortage of government-subsidised homes. |
| Use of emergency housing also skyrocketed in the country during the pandemic. Government data shows the stopgap solution has become a long-term option for many. | Use of emergency housing also skyrocketed in the country during the pandemic. Government data shows the stopgap solution has become a long-term option for many. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Affordable housing | Affordable housing |
| Wellington | Wellington |
| Social housing | Social housing |
| New Zealand | New Zealand |
| Sheltered housing | Sheltered housing |
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