A person had been found dead following a serious house fire which blocked off several Christchurch streets.
Emergency services were notified of the blaze on Dickson Cres in the suburb of Hornby at 12.55pm.
Roads in the area were cordoned off by police while Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews worked on the scene.
In an update shortly after 3pm, police said a resident of the house had been found deceased inside.
“Cordons are in place on Dickson Cres while emergency services continue work to extinguish the fire and then conduct a scene examination,” police said.
The fire appears to have destroyed a section of the house and fire investigators and detectives have arrived.
Hato Hone St John was also on the scene.
“One patient in a minor condition was assessed and treated at the scene,” it said in a statement earlier.
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said three appliances are in attendance and crews are still working to put the fire out.
There is no risk to other houses, the spokesperson said.
More to come.
The man was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.