A man has been arrested and charged with two counts of arson on Thursday after a hostel fire in New Zealand's capital city of Wellington, killed at least six people this week.
A blaze broke out on the top floor of the Loafers Lodge in the suburb of Newtown in the early hours of Tuesday, causing major structural damage that hampered efforts to get inside.
In a statement posted on Facebook, police said they could not rule out charging the man with further offences.
"The investigation into the fire is ongoing and police have not ruled out further, more serious charges in relation to the deaths at the scene," they said in the statement.
The authorities opened a homicide inquiry on Wednesday after saying that arson was suspected.
Inspector Dion Bennett, acting Wellington district commander, said a reconnaissance team had conducted an initial preparatory examination of the building and expected to be able to bring out two bodies on Thursday and a further two on Friday.
"The scene examination is expected to take several days," Bennett said, adding that police did not know how many people had died in the fire.
Israel pounded Rafah with airstrikes and tank fire on Tuesday, pressing its offensive in Gaza's southern city despite international condemnation of an attack that sparked a blaze in a tent camp for the displaced, killing at least 45 people.
Around one million people have fled the Gazan city of Rafah in the past three weeks, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.
Torrential rains brought by cyclone Remal caused a collapse in a stone quarry in India's state of Mizoram, killing 15 people and trapping seven, while eight more have died in landslides and other accidents elsewhere in the remote region.
North Korea said its attempt to launch a new military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure on Monday when a newly developed rocket engine exploded in flight.
More than 2,000 people could be buried alive by a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea last week, the government said on Monday, as treacherous terrain and the difficulty of getting aid to the site raises the risk few survivors will be found.
Powerful storms killed at least 18 people, injured hundreds and left a wide trail of destruction across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where dozens sought shelter in a restroom during the latest deadly weather to strike the central US.
Strong winds and heavy rain pounded the coastal regions of Bangladesh and India as severe cyclone Remal made landfall on Sunday, leaving millions without electricity after power poles fell and trees were uprooted by gusty winds.
About 200 aid trucks, including four fuel trucks, are expected to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, Khaled Zayed, the head of the Egyptian Red Crescent Society in North Sinai, told Reuters.
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Welcome to Pinoy Bulletin, your go-to source for staying informed about important announcements, exciting group activities, community events, and job opportunities!