New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has a personal connection to one of the men missing in the Loafers Lodge hostel fire.
Liam Hockings is a 50-year-old resident of the Wellington hostel, which burned down early on Tuesday.
Mr Hockings’ family are concerned for his wellbeing, as they haven’t heard from him since.
Mr Hipkins and Mr Hockings were university colleagues in the 1990s, when they were arrested at parliament while protesting the privatisation of university services.
As a teenager, Mr Hipkins, was illegally arrested and detained overnight, when he was strip-searched.
The pair were among dozens to receive a police apology and compensation, some 22 years later, when parliament’s speaker also apologised for the wrongdoing.
Speaking from parliament on Wednesday, Mr Hipkins said his thoughts were with Mr Hockings and his family.
“My heart goes out to them, and to the other families and friends who will be very anxious,” he said.
“I haven’t seen a lot of him in recent years although I have run into him at various events around the place and I understand that he is missing at the moment,” he said.
“He’s a bit of a character.
“He’s certainly someone who I knew – I haven’t seen him much in recent years – to be a very sincere person.”
News outlet Stuff published historical photos of the pair outside parliament discussing their arrests.
Its report also said Mr Hockings lived with hydrocephalus, a neurological condition which “left him with memory and organisational difficulties”.
Mr Hockings’ sister is BBC news presenter Lucy Hockings.
It is not yet known whether Mr Hockings perished in the fire.
Fire and Emergency NZ have confirmed six bodies are inside the hostel, which police gained access to on Wednesday.
Officers have begun the task of combing through the burned out building, searching for bodies, identifying them, and investigating the fire.
Australian Associated Press