Three days after the shooting in downtown Auckland, New Zealand, on the opening day of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the New Zealand team hotel caught fire and had to be evacuated. A suspect has been arrested.
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With our correspondent in Wellington, Richard Tindiller
The New Zealand Football Federation may assure that this fire did not explicitly target the national team, but this still raises questions. Notably after the shooting which took place on Thursday morning, just before the start of the competition, in a building under construction. A shooting that killed three people, including the assailant.
On Saturday, around thirty firefighters went to the Pullman Hotel where the players reside, which is also the base of Football Fern, the New Zealand team. All occupants of the building were evacuated while the fires were put out.
Neither the New Zealand team nor the World Cup targeted
This Sunday morning, a 34-year-old man was charged with burglary and arson. He is due to appear tomorrow, Monday, in court in Auckland. The New Zealand Federation ensures that this fire did not target FIFA or the World Cup.
But after conversations between the two parties, FIFA asked New Zealand to increase security measures during the competition.
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