No bodies found after Christchurch blaze

Firemen fight a large house fire on Salisbury Street in central Christchurch on Friday night. Photo / Simon Baker

Firefighters and police combing the burnt out remains of a Christchurch apartment building have found no bodies in the premises today.

The abandoned two-storey house on Salisbury St was well ablaze when the Fire Service arrived at the scene about 7pm last night and it was thought a person was trapped in the building.

Police and fire crews searched the building this morning but so far had not found a body, as feared, Fire Service southern communications shift supervisor Andrew Norris told NZPA.

It took 28 firefighters and seven appliances to put the fire out.

The cause of the fire was still not known.

- NZPA