Firefighters inspect the hostel in the aftermath of the fire (Picture: Marty Melville/AFP)
The brother of BBC presenter Lucy Hockings ‘remains unaccounted for’ after a fire at a hostel in New Zealand.
On Tuesday, the blaze broke out at the accommodation in Wellington, the capital of the country.
Police are treating the fire as suspicious following reports of ‘multiple fatalities’ at Loafer’s Lodge, while a spokesperson for the BBC has confirmed that New Zealand presenter Hockings and her family are ‘awaiting further information from the authorities’ while her brother, Liam, remains unfound.
Other families affected by the fire are also waiting for updates on their loved ones who are missing.
According to the Associated Press, police officers have accounted for 92 people who were in the hostel, while fewer than 20 remain unaccounted for.
It’s reportedly expected that there may be fewer than 10 fatalities following the fire.
Hockings’ brother, Liam, is yet to be found (Picture: Facebook)
The spokesperson for the BBC said: ‘Following the devastating fire at the hostel in Wellington, New Zealand, Liam Hockings, the brother of Lucy Hockings, remains unaccounted for.
‘Liam lived at the hostel. Lucy and her family are awaiting further information from the authorities and we ask that her and her family’s privacy is respected at this time.’
The broadcaster added that it will ‘do everything it can’ to support Hockings.
The fire is being treated as ‘suspicious’ by the police (Picture: Marty Melville/AFP)
People were seen fleeing from the hostel’s windows, it’s been reported (Picture: Marty Melville/AFP via Getty Images)
Inspector Dion Bennett, acting Wellington District Commander for New Zealand Police, also issued a statement, addressing the families who are waiting for news of their relatives.
‘We know there are many people waiting for news of family and friends – including the residents who escaped the fire and are keenly waiting for news of their fellow tenants,’ he said.
‘I again want to provide the reassurance that we have a large number of officers working on this investigation, with the aim of providing them the answers they need as quickly as possible.’
The officer said that the scene is likely to be assessed for ‘some time’, with police also investigating a potential link to a sofa fire which occurred two hours prior to the incident.
According to the Associated Press, some people in the hostel rushed out in their pyjamas, while others jumped from windows and some were rescued from the roof by firefighters.
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Police are continuing to search for individuals who aren’t accounted for.
