One dead in house fire in Chatham Islands

A person has died in a house fire in the Chatham Islands.

Police confirmed the fatality after reports of a house fire at a residential property yesterday afternoon in a remote part of the Chatham Islands.

Emergency services were called to the scene about 3.30pm.

"The body of a deceased person was subsequently discovered in the house," a police spokesman said this morning.

The circumstances of the fire are not yet known.

Police staff from the Wellington CIB are due to travel to the area to carry out a scene examination and to make further inquiries into the blaze.

It comes after the islands' 600-strong community was shocked following the death of a person struck by a falling tree on Wednesday.

The incident, which occurred on private property, was reported by the local police officer about 12.50pm.

The death had been referred to the Coroner.