Fire crews battle large apartment blaze in Shirley, Christchurch, child thrown from top storey

Emergency services are responding to a large apartment fire in Christchurch this evening, with half-dressed residents being rushed into ambulances and a child passed out of the window of a burning building.

Four Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) appliances are fighting the blaze reported shortly before 10pm on New Brighton Rd in the suburb of Shirley.

“All persons are accounted for but there are some injuries to patients. We are unsure what those injuries are,” Fenz said.

Hato Hone St John were advised of the fire at 9.54pm and dispatched two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and an operations manager to the scene.

They were treating three patients, one with serious injuries and two with moderate injuries.

A witness, who asked not to be named, told the Herald they heard a loud bang before plumes of smoke erupted from the apartment block.

They said they saw a mother and child on the top floor of the building,

“The mum passed the child out the top window and two boys from the street were underneath and caught here,” they said.

Afterwards the mother climbed through the top window and dropped to the ground, said the witness.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.