The long wait: Two friends dead, and others missing

It’s a chilling video that tells the story of a tragedy unfolding and the many who are still waiting for news of loved ones.

As Chris, who Stuff has agreed not to identify, films from the street, he worries about his mate Ken and other friends left inside. He points to his room, which appears to be two floors down from where the centre of the fatal blaze was.

Later, Chris will find out Ken was rescued from the roof, but two of his friends have died.

Now Chris waits to hear about others he knows are missing.

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“Hopefully they got out,” he says, still shocked. “There’s a lot missing.”

Chris was one of the lucky ones who escaped the building after a fire broke out at Wellington’s Loafers Lodge hostel in Newtown. He was just 2 metres from a fire escape when the alarm went off, as the fire started at the opposite side of the building.

Subsequently, he was interviewed by police for several hours as they sought to find out how the fire started.

Chris was questioned because he committed arson on several occasions in 2015.

“They just need to check out everyone and that’s okay with me.”

However, he said he was upset that other media chose to highlight his history at a time when he was grieving for his friends.

On the video shot by Chris, another lodge resident can be heard saying how he was only alerted to the fire when someone knocked on his window. As the fire grows stronger, popping sounds like firecrackers can be heard sporadically.

Chris, who had been living at Loafers Lodge since November, said all but four or five people had been rehomed for the evening, including himself.

He praised the agencies, including police, for their offers of support in the aftermath of the fire.

“Everyone is getting the support they need.”

The large fire broke out in the middle of the night on the top floor of the 94-room hostel. Emergency services were called to the fire at 12.25am.

As the hunt for answers begins, Fire and Emergency deputy national commander Brendan Nally has praised the heroic firefighters who helped up to 60 people escape.

“They have saved lots of lives” but were devastated they could not save everyone, he said.

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A senior emergency services source confirmed the fire was being treated as suspicious.

As investigations began many residents told miraculous stories of survival. Among them was Tamrat Isse Adan, who escaped after he smelt smoke and heard an alarm while going to the toilet.

He escaped with just his jacket and his phone.

“I’m very sad, very sad. My neighbour, he’s missing, maybe he’s dead.”

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said it would be a challenge to make sure that those affected by the fire would get into reliable long term housing options.

“There will always be a group of people though who are in more transient housing, and we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to protect them and to make sure that the accommodation they are in is of a high standard.”