A child has died and six other people have been injured following a house fire in the Christchurch suburb of Mairehau.

Emergency services were called to a house on Whitehall Street at around 8.25pm on 14 May. The child died at the scene.

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.

Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand have launched enquiries into the fire.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan said a scene guard was placed at the property overnight.

“Police will be carrying out a scene examination today, including working with Fire and Emergency New Zealand Fire Investigators,” she said.

The cause of the fire is still to be determined, but it is not believed to be suspicious.

Police say there is no further information available at this stage.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, told chrislynchmedia.com they first noticed the fire while playing a computer game at home.

“I saw the orange. It was small at the time,” they said. “I told my son to go to my bedroom and watch his tablet for a bit. Stepped outside and heard someone yelling and another voice screaming.”

The neighbour said they called 111, even though they assumed others already had.

“I assumed people had already called 111, but being so close I wanted to call myself just for the reassurance. The man on the phone said that a few people had called and they were already on their way.

“Within 5 minutes the whole house was ablaze. It was a terrifying sight,” they said.

“I was worried that I would have to wake up my two younger daughters and run them down to my parents’ house. Kept watching the fence to see if it was coming alight. I could hear the neighbour’s garage windows blasting out from the heat.”

“It was not long after that, that I heard the sirens. They didn’t stop for a while. There was so many sirens and cars arriving.”

“The only real thing that helped stop the fire spreading was that metal fence.”

They said they did not know the family personally, but recognised them from the daily school run.

“I see them walk past my house every day taking their children to preschool while on the school run myself. I hope they pull through. Will be a sleepless night tonight.”

“It took me ages to settle down and stop shaking.”