3 Arrested In Hong Kong, As A High-Rise Fire Leaves At Least 44 Dead And 279 Reported Missing

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s The deadliest fire of recent years At least 44 people lost their lives and 279 people were reported missing in the fire that burned throughout the night. Rescue teams continue to extract residents from burning high-rise apartments until the morning.

Various local media outlets reported that police arrested three people on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with a fire that started Wednesday afternoon at a housing complex in the Tai Po district, a suburb of the New Territories. As of Thursday morning local time, the fire had not yet been extinguished and the death toll had reached 44 as rescue efforts continued.

Hundreds of residents were evacuated after the fire spread to seven of the eight buildings in the complex. At least 29 people remained in hospital. Bright flames and smoke billowed from the windows as night fell.

Officials have previously said that because it is unusual for the fire to spread quickly, inspectors will look into factors such as whether the material on the exterior walls of high-rise buildings meets fire resistance standards. Fire Chief Andy Yeung said officers found sheets of highly flammable foam.

The fire started on the exterior scaffolding of one of the buildings — a 32-story tower — and then spread inside the building and then to nearby buildings, possibly aided by windy conditions, officials said.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping He expressed his condolences to the deceased firefighter on Wednesday and offered condolences to the families of the victims, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He also called for efforts to minimize loss of life and property.

John Lee, the city’s chief executive, said the government would prioritize the disaster but halt public efforts toward the Dec. 7 elections for the Legislative Council. He did not say whether the elections would be postponed, but said decisions would come “in a few days.”

The fire at the three buildings was “contained” shortly after midnight, according to the Department of Fire Services.

The residential complex consisted of eight buildings About 4,800 people, including many elderly people, live in nearly 2,000 apartments. It was built in the 1980s and was recently undergoing a major renovation.

Fire chiefs said high temperatures at the scene made it difficult for crews to conduct rescue operations. As the fire spread rapidly through the bamboo scaffolding and construction nets installed on the exterior of the buildings, a column of flames and dense smoke rose. Approximately 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters.

Officials said hundreds of firefighters, police officers and paramedics were deployed. Fire crews sprayed water on the intense flames from above with ladder trucks.

The fire, which started in the afternoon, was upgraded to level 5 alert, the highest level, as night fell. Conditions remain extremely challenging for firefighters, officials said.

“The debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings are being destroyed,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of fire operations. “The temperature inside the relevant buildings is very high. It is difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to carry out fire fighting and rescue operations.”

The fire department said it received “numerous” calls asking for help. It was stated that some residents were stranded as of Wednesday night.

Firefighters sent nearly 200 fire trucks and more than 100 ambulances to the scene, according to local public broadcaster RTHK.

Fire services director Yeung said that a 37-year-old firefighter was among the dead, while another firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.

District authorities in Tai Po opened temporary shelters for people left homeless by the fire.

“I’ve given up thinking about my property,” one resident, who gave only his surname Wu, told local television station TVB. “It was really frustrating to watch him burn like that.”

Tai Po is a suburban district 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 building construction and renovation projects in Hong Kong, although the government announced it would begin earlier this year phased out for public projects due to security concerns.

The fire was the deadliest fire in recent years in Hong Kong. In November 1996, 41 people died in a level 5 fire at a commercial building in Kowloon that lasted approximately 20 hours.

Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing and AP writer Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.