In connection with a fatal hostel fire, New Zealand police have accused a 48-year-old man with five charges of murder.
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He had already been detained and accused of setting the Wellington fire last month on fire.
Five individuals were killed when Loafers Lodge, a four-story emergency housing hostel in the capital, burned down on May 16.
As members of vulnerable and marginalized groups had been living on the property, the tragedy has rekindled discussion about New Zealand's housing situation.
Many hospital employees have also used it as temporary housing because it was close to Wellington City Hospital.
On Thursday, Wellington Police notified reporters that they had informed the families of the victims of the accusations filed by the prosecution. They made no specific claims, only generalizations.
The deadly fire started on May 16 just after midnight local time. Police announced they were considering the fire as an act of arson shortly after opening a homicide investigation.
Five men between the ages of 50 and 67 were the victims, according to authorities.
On the night of the fire, the building housed at least 99 people.
Some had to crawl through the smoke to safety when it first started. Others gathered on the roof to wait for help.
Tala Sili, a lodger, claimed he leaped out of his window to escape the fire.
He had earlier told national radio RNZ, "I was on the top floor and I couldn't go through the hallway because there was just too much smoke, so I jumped out the window."
He remarked, "It smelled like poison."
Wellington's fire officials stated last month that they could not determine whether the building's smoke alarms had sounded due to conflicting reports from locals.
Due to sky-high real estate costs, rising rents, and a lack of government-subsidized housing, many New Zealanders have been forced out of the housing market.
During the epidemic, the country saw a sharp increase in the use of emergency housing. According to official statistics, many people are now choosing the temporary fix over the long term.
