One dead after motel fire

A unit at an Auckland motel in which a man died this morning is kept under cover by police. Picture / Fotopress

A man is dead after an early morning fire in an Auckland motel.

Firefighters were called to the Unicorn Motel in Shelley Beach Road shortly before 5am today.

Police said they were investigating an explosion heard before the fire broke out.

Two appliances responded to the blaze but when it was thought a person was trapped inside a motel unit, a third appliance was sent.

The dead man was found soon after.

A taxi driver is being hailed a hero for preventing more deaths. He went into the motel and raised the alarm when he saw smoke and flames coming from it.

Chief fire officer Brian Edwards said: "He came into the hotel, roused some of the downstairs occupants, including the manager here. They then attempted to put the fire out using a hose reel."

Fifteen occupants were accounted for.

Traffic was disrupted in the area during the morning rush hour and police said motorists should not take the Shelley Beach Road exit from the Harbour Bridge.

Fire safety officers are investigating the cause of the fire.

- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB