New Zealand hostel fire kills at least 6

A fire ripped through a hostel in New Zealand's capital overnight, killing at least six people and forcing others to flee the four-storey building in their pyjamas in what a fire chief on Tuesday (May 16) called his "worst nightmare."

A fire ripped through a hostel in New Zealand's capital overnight, killing at least six people and forcing others to flee the four-storey building in their pyjamas in what a fire chief on Tuesday (May 16) called his "worst nightmare."

Fifty-two people in the Loafers Lodge Hostel in Wellington have been accounted for, but firefighters are still looking for others, said Wellington Fire and Emergency District Manager Nick Pyatt. He said they were called to the hostel at about 12:30 a.m. local time.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told the AM morning news program that he understands that six people have been confirmed dead and there are likely to be more. Police said they don't yet have an exact count of the number of dead, although they believe it's fewer than 10 people.