The death count in the massive fire in high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong's Tai Po district has risen to 65, officials said. Meanwhile, about 279 people remain missing as rescue operations continue into the morning, with firefighters and emergency teams pulling people from the blazing buildings.
In Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades, hundreds of residents were evacuated as flames rapidly spread through seven of the eight towers of the Wang Fuk Court complex. Bright orange fire and thick smoke poured from windows as the blaze engulfed the high-rises.
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee said that 279 people are still missing in the worst fire in Hong Kong's history involving multiple high-rise blocks.
At least sixty-eight people are in hospital, with 16 in critical condition and 25 deemed serious, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
The fire at four of the buildings was "coming under control" by Thursday morning, according to the Fire Services Department. Officials said the fire started on the external scaffolding of one of the buildings, a 32-story tower, and later spread to inside the building and then to nearby buildings, likely aided by windy conditions.
Three arrested for alleged manslaughter
Hong Kong Police have arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with a fire which began on Wednesday afternoon in a housing complex in Tai Po district, a suburb in the New Territories. By Thursday morning local time, the fire was yet to be put out and rescues continued.
The three men arrested, aged 52 to 68, are the directors and an engineering consultant of the firm, officials said at a press conference early Thursday morning local time. Police are accusing the men of "gross negligence." "We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent," said Eileen Chung, a senior superintendent of police.
According to CNN, police found the construction company name on inflammable polystyrene boards that firefighters found blocking some windows at the apartment complex. Officials added that they suspect other construction materials found at the apartments - including protective nets, canvas, and plastic covers - failed to meet safety standards.
Xi Jinping expresses condolences
Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday expressed condolences to the firefighter who died and extended sympathies to the families of the victims, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He also urged efforts to minimize casualties and losses.
The housing complex consisted of eight buildings with almost 2,000 apartments housing about 4,800 residents, including many elderly people. It was built in the 1980s and had recently been undergoing a major renovation.
Seven of the eight towers in the complex, which houses many elderly residents, were still burning hours after the fire first broke out. The fire is now believed to be Hong Kong's deadliest in nearly 30 years, surpassing even the infamous 1996 Garley Building blaze that killed 41 people.
High temperatures making rescue operations difficult
Fire chiefs said high temperatures at the scene made it difficult for crews to mount rescue operations. A column of flames and thick smoke rose as the blaze spread quickly on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the exterior of the buildings. About 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters.
Authorities said that hundreds of firefighters, police officers and paramedics were deployed. Firefighters aimed water at the intense flames from high up on ladder trucks.
The blaze, which started mid-afternoon, was upgraded to a level 5 alarm — the highest level of severity — as night fell. Authorities said that conditions remained very challenging for firefighters.
Firefighters deployed more than 200 fire vehicles and about 100 ambulances to the scene.
Tai Po is a suburban area in the New Territories, in the northern part of Hong Kong and near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects, though the government said earlier this year that it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns.
Also Read: 36 killed, 279 missing after massive fire engulfs high-rise building in Hong Kong
Also Read: Imran Khan killed in Pakistan jail? Baloch foreign ministry makes big claim, accuses Asim Munir, ISI
