Three men have been arrested in connection with an investigation into a fire that ripped through high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong on Nov. 26, killing dozens of people as authorities search for hundreds of missing people.
The fire broke out in Wang Fuk Court, a 32-story high-rise housing complex that houses 2,000 residential apartments across eight blocks, according to Reuters. The complex is located in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, near the border between Hong Kong and mainland China.
The fire — the deadliest blaze in Hong Kong in three decades — left at least 44 people dead, including a firefighter, 29 hospitalized, and 279 missing. About 900 people were in shelters.
Hong Kong police arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter and are expected to provide more details later, Reuters reported.
Dramatic images from the scene showed the building’s bamboo scaffolding engulfed in flames and thick plumes of dark smoke rising as firefighters below battled the blaze. Harry Cheung, 66, who has lived in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, told Reuters he heard a loud noise around 2:45 p.m. local time and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.
“I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go back home.”
China’s President Xi Jinping urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the fire and to minimize casualties and losses, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said. But Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of the Hong Kong Fire Department, told reporters at a news conference the “extremely high temperatures” are making it difficult to reach those trapped inside, CNN reported.
When did the fire start?
The fire department received reports of the fire at 2:51 p.m. local time, and by 3:34 p.m., it was upgraded to a No. 4 alarm, the second-highest level. By nightfall, the blaze was upgraded to the highest level of severity, the Associated Press reported/
What caused the fire?
The cause of the fire is unknown, the BBC reported. But the flames are believed to have spread quickly due to the bamboo scaffolding covering the exterior of the high-rise.
The building, which has been occupied since 1983, was undergoing major renovations, Reuters reported. Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world that uses bamboo scaffolding.https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d58999.33565584886!2d114.17620691009753!3d22.44939903910458!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x3404083c990ce3bd%3A0xfe83205d6a42e602!2sTai%20Po%2C%20Hong%20Kong!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1764158420613!5m2!1sen!2sus
Where is Tai Po, Hong Kong?
Tai Po, Hong Kong, is located near the border between Hong Kong and mainland China.
It is a suburban district with a population of around 300,000, according to Reuters.
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(This story has been updated with new information.)
Contributing: Reuters
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