House fire victim finally named

A 41-year-old originally from Hungary was the sole occupant of the unit on East Coast Rd on Auckland's North Shore which was totally destroyed in the blaze. Photo / NZPA/Bradley Ambrose

A man who died in a deliberately lit Auckland house fire on May 2 has at last been identified through DNA testing.

He was Zelton Janos Csajagi, a 41-year-old originally from Hungary.

He was the sole occupant of the unit on East Coast Rd on Auckland's North Shore, which was totally destroyed in the blaze.

Police believed they knew who the who the victim was, but because his body was so badly burned they had to compare his DNA with that of family members to confirm his identity.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kim Libby said no one else was being sought in connection with the death and it had been referred to the coroner.

Fire safety officer Russell Dickson said because so much evidence was destroyed the exact cause of the fire could not be established. However, it had been determined it was non-accidental.

There were no smoke alarms in the house.

- NZPA