Loafers Lodge fire: Three people charged with manslaughter following two-year police investigation

Three people have been charged with manslaughter in relation to the Loafers Lodge fire that killed five of the building's 92 residents.

The charges follow a two-year investigation by police into the state of the building, and whether the management and compliance of its fire safety systems contributed to the outcome.

A 50-year-old man, who has name suppression, was charged with murder and arson. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is due to stand trial in August.

On Thursday, Wellington police's area investigations manager Detective Senior Sergeant Timothy Leitch said three other people had been charged with manslaughter in relation to the fire.

The people charged were involved with the management and operation of the building and police allege they were responsible for aspects of the building fire safety, Leitch said.

Those charged are two men aged 75 and 58, and a 70-year-old woman. They appeared in the Wellington District Court on Thursday facing five charges of Manslaughter.