The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union has called off a nationwide one-hour strike that had been scheduled for midday today, following the fatal house fire in Christchurch overnight.

A child died and six other people were injured following on house fire on Whitehall Street in Mairehau.

Of those injured, one person received critical injuries, three were in a serious to moderate condition, and two received minor injuries.

The six are two adults and four children, and all were taken to hospital.

The NZPFU National Committee said it made the decision in recognition of the impact of the fire, in which a child reportedly died and other members of the whānau were left in serious condition. The union said the loss and devastation would be widely felt across Christchurch and would ripple through the country.

“We stand in solidarity with you, and calling off the strike is just one way we can demonstrate that support,” the union said.

The NZPFU acknowledged everyone who responded to the blaze, including the 111 emergency dispatchers and the firefighting crews, as well as the fire investigators continuing the work today, and the toll the incident would take on them all.

The union’s scheduled Local debrief will still go ahead by video conference at 3pm. That meeting will cover the circumstances of the fire in more detail, along with other pressing matters, including Locals being called to appear before the Parliamentary Governance and Administration Committee to give evidence in the inquiry into Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s fleet.