6 people dead

The Loafers Lodge hostel in Newtown, in Wellington’s south, caught alight overnight, prompting an evacuation.

The prime minister, Chris Hipkins, said at least six people had died. “I understand six confirmed previously and it looks like there are likely to be more.”

Police said on Tuesday morning: “Our initial assessment is that the number of deceased is fewer than 10, however, we are not in a position to be any more specific until we can access the building.”

The event in the city of Highland Park was suddenly halted shortly after 10:00 local (15:00 GMT), when several shots were heard.

Residents have been urged to stay at home and contact their loved ones to make sure they are safe.

City authorities said 24 people had also been hospitalised.

"We are aggressively looking for the individual responsible for this shooting," Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli told reporters.

The crash happened on the Hawkesbury River near the suburb of Cowan.

Police divers have recovered six bodies from the wreckage, which is lying in 13m (43ft) of water.

Unconfirmed reports say the casualties included an 11-year-old boy, the pilot and four British nationals. The single-engine aircraft belonged to sightseeing flight company Sydney Seaplanes.

Investigators do not yet know why the plane crashed.

Acting Superintendent Michael Gorman said the "recovery operation continues" at the site where the single-engine aircraft crashed.