Death toll in Hong Kong tower block fire rises to 44 with hundreds still missing
Three arrests made after huge blaze broke out at Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po district
The death toll from a huge fire that engulfed several residential tower blocks in Hong Kong has risen to 44, with 45 in critical condition and hundreds reported missing.
A taskforce has been set up to investigate the cause of the fire, which broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po, in the northern New Territories. The complex is made up of eight 31-storey towers containing about 2,000 flats, which house about 4,800 people.
Authorities said early on Thursday that three men aged between 52 and 68 had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to the fire. The city’s leader, John Lee, said in the early hours of Thursday morning that the fire was “coming under control”.
Authorities declared the incident a five-alarm fire, the highest emergency rating, and at least 128 fire engines and almost 800 firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
Roads including major highways near the towers have been closed.
“The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped,” Lee said. “The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation.”
Shortly after the fire broke out, Derek Armstrong Chan, the deputy director of Hong Kong’s fire services operations, said: “The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.”
At least one firefighter, named as Ho Wai-ho, 37, was among the dead. Videos from the scene show flames spread across the towers and visible on every floor, flaring out of windows.
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