Manslaughter charges laid over Loafers Lodge hostel fire in NZ that killed five people
Three people have been charged with manslaughter over the May 2023 boarding house fire in Wellington that killed five people, New Zealand Police has announced.
A two-year investigation to establish if the condition of the Loafers Lodge building and its fire safety systems "contributed to the fatal outcome" led to the charges, Detective Senior Sergeant Timothy Leitch said in a statement.
"The people we have charged today were involved with the management and operation of the building, and police allege they were responsible for aspects of the building's fire safety system," he said.
Two men aged 75 and 58, and a 70-year-old woman, will appear in the Wellington District Court later on Thursday, local time, each facing charges of manslaughter.
Police have spoken to a third man and expect to also charge him with manslaughter in the coming days.
In the week of the incident, a 50-year-old man, whose name has been suppressed, was charged with deliberately lighting the fire.
He pleaded not guilty and that matter is before the High Court and scheduled to go to trial in August.
Senior Sergeant Leitch said police would like to acknowledge "the long-term impact on those who lost loved ones, the residents who lost their friends, their home and treasured personal property, as well as the many others that have been affected by the far reaching and devastating event".
Loafers Lodge was home to more than 50 people and caught fire in the middle of the night on May 16, 2023.
Michael Wahrlich, Melvin Parun, Peter O'Sullivan, Kenneth Barnard and Liam Hockings died in the fire.
The family of Mr Hockings released a statement after the manslaughter charges were laid against people involved in the operation and management of the building.
"While nothing can bring the victims back, we support this step toward accountability," the family statement read.
"This tragedy has highlighted serious concerns about the safety and conditions of some accommodation, particularly for vulnerable people in our communities who are often housed in buildings like this.
"Everyone deserves a safe place to live — regardless of their circumstances — and we urge all those who own, operate, or manage buildings to take their responsibilities seriously. Lives literally depend on it."
Mr Hockings' family said they were still coming to terms with his death.
"He would have turned 53 just a few days ago," they said.
"His absence has left a huge void in our lives and in the wider Newtown community that knew and cherished him."
The hostel was known to be short-to-medium-term accommodation for hospital and abattoir staff, as well as vulnerable city residents hoping to escape the cold temperatures overnight.
The department responsible for fire safety compliance took the opportunity to remind accommodation owners and managers in New Zealand they are required "to ensure those who occupy their premises are protected from fire".
There have been a series of official inquiries at both a council and national level as a result of the deadly fire at Loafers Lodge.
The probes found there were problems with fire compliance across a number of hostel-type buildings across the capital.
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