Three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in years, which has killed at least 44 people and left another 279 missing.
A fire tore through bamboo scaffolding on high-rise buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district earlier today.
Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, expressed his extreme sadness when announcing the deaths and 29 hospitalisations so far, noting that seven patients are in critical condition.
Most of the injured suffered inhalation airway trauma and had to be hospitalised in the ICU, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Health, Lo Chung Mau said.
The fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate, which sent thick red smoke billowing into the sky, is gradually coming under control, Lee said.
Footage showed burning sections of scaffolding falling to the ground as onlookers watched in horror waiting for news of loved ones.
Authorities said 767 firefighters were sent to the scene and high temperatures made it difficult for them to mount rescue operations.
Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of the Fire Service operations, said: ‘Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings (is) falling down.
‘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.’
One of the dead is a 37-year-old firefighter.
A resident in her sixties who gave her name as Mrs Poon told the South China Morning Post: ‘When there’s a wildfire, they will deploy helicopters and drop water bombs, but why is there no such deployment and how can they leave other buildings burning?’
She added: ‘The community is so close to the fire station and we thought the fire could be put out soon, but now the fire has spread. I’m so disappointed.’
Another person who lived in the block, who left work early after hearing the news, said: ‘It’s so chaotic. No instructions from the government at all.’
The blaze was reported in the afternoon and upgraded to the highest level of severity, the city’s Fire Services Department said.
Eight shelters have opened and care teams from all 18 Hong Kong districts have been mobilised to support citizens in need with temporary accommodation arrangements.
About 900 people have been evacuated to these temporary shelters.
Around 4,800 people live on the estate’s eight blocks, which are reported to have 1,984 flats.
Hundreds of residents were evacuated as the fire spread across seven blocks that were recently undergoing a major renovation.
Local time in Hong Kong is eight hours ahead of the UK, and the fire was still burning at 6pm local time (10am GMT).
Bamboo scaffolding is widely used for construction work in the region, as it is strong, flexible, and lightweight.
However, it is also more flammable than metal, and appears to be what has allowed the flames to spread so extensively.
Hong Kong’s Labour Department sets out a Code of Conduct for its use, saying those using it must be specifically trained.
It adds that protective nets or screens on the face of the scaffold ‘should have appropriate fire retardant properties in compliance with a recognised standard.’
The police force and fire services have established a special task force to investigate this incident.
Director Tang Ping-keung has said that the investigation would proceed towards criminal charges.
The fire is the deadliest in Hong Kong in years.
In November 1996, 41 people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a level 5 fire that lasted for around 20 hours.
