Hong Kong fire: three reportedly arrested with dozens dead and hundreds missing in housing complex blaze – follow updates | Hong Kong
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Fire crews received calls from trapped residents but are struggling with difficult conditions
Although firefighters fought the fire for hours, they had difficulty reaching the upper floors of high-rise buildings.
john leeThe Hong Kong leader previously said:
The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue trapped citizens. The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and improve. We will then launch a thorough investigation.
Derek Armstrong ChanThe deputy director of fire operations said he had received “numerous” calls for help and some residents were stranded as of Wednesday night. He said, according to the Associated Press:
Debris and scaffolding of affected buildings [is] To fall. The temperature inside these buildings is very high. It is difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to carry out firefighting and rescue operations.
Where is Tai Po?
Tai Po, one of Hong Kong’s 18 districts, is located in the New Territories in the north of the district. The district is home to approximately 300,000 people.
Wang Fuk Court towers are among the tallest towers in the area. Reuters reported that the buildings have been occupied since 1983 and remain part of the government’s subsidized homeownership scheme. The complex has been undergoing renovation work for the past year.
Here’s what we know
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At least 36 people have died after a massive fire engulfed several high-rise buildings at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po. The complex consists of eight 32-storey towers with approximately 2,000 apartments. About 4,800 people live there.
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279 more people are missing john leeThe city’s leader said earlier today. Dozens of people were hospitalized.
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More than 128 fire trucks and approximately 800 firefighters were dispatched to the scene and spent hours trying to control the fires. At least one firefighter was among the dead.
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The cause of the fire was not immediately known, as it reportedly started just before 3pm local time and quickly spread through buildings covered in bamboo scaffolding.
Welcome to our live blog following the devastating fire at an apartment complex in Hong Kong. We will bring you the latest updates soon, including the press conference with Hong Kong police.
Stay with us.
