[13] A long-term resident of the hostel said that he had noticed the fire while heading back to his room from the bathroom, and that the smoke, crowds and darkness were disorienting before he was able to escape via a stairwell.

Other residents said that, due to multiple false fire alarms throughout the past months, there were delays in responding and evacuating.

[21] On 23 June, Judge Christine Grice of the Wellington High Court granted the murder suspect name suppression until mid-August 2023.

[22][23] On 21 March 2024, the suspect's lawyer Louise Sziranyi confirmed that the defendant would plead not guilty to the murder charges on the grounds of insanity.

[29] On 15 June, hundreds of people attended a remembrance ceremony at Wellington's Cathedral of St Paul for the victims.

[30] On 23 June, lawyers representing displaced residents filed an interim injunction to stop the owners from demolishing the structure in order to retrieve their belongings.

[31] By late March 2024, Community Law senior lawyer Oscar Upperton confirmed that recovery professionals had managed to return several salvageable possessions including family photos and memorabilia to displaced tenants.

Upperton also confirmed that the tenants and landlord were working on minor issues related to the recovery process that was expected to be settled soon.