Police shoot man wanted for questioning in Australian hostel fire that killed 15

CHILDERS, Australia (AP) -- Police shot a man during his arrest Wednesday in connection with a backpacker hostel blaze in Australia that killed 15 young travelers, police said.

Robert Paul Long, 37, was shot in the arm after lunging at a police officer who was searching through the bushland south of Childers, the site of the deadly fire Friday morning. Police said the injury was not life-threatening.

Six backpackers from Britain, four from Australia, two from the Netherlands and one each from Ireland, South Korea and Japan were killed Friday when fire swept through the Palace Backpackers Hostel in Childers, a town of 1,500 people located 195 miles north of Brisbane.

Police have launched an arson investigation and want to question Long, an itinerant fruit picker who was kicked out of the hostel days before the fire.

Police flushed Long out after search teams with sniffer dogs found a campsite south of the town. After lunging at one officer with a knife, he was shot by a second, police said.

Long was taken to the hospital and was under guard while he underwent treatment late Wednesday, police said. He would be questioned later.

Earlier Wednesday, Queensland government announced it would inspect all backpacker hostels and tighten fire safety regulations.