Hong Kong blaze death toll reaches 45 as rescue operations continue

Firefighters are battling for a 2nd time against 1 of Hong Kong’s deadliest modern fires, which engulfed aggregate high-rise towers astatine Wang Fuk Court analyzable successful Tai Po successful the New Territories region.

Authorities arrested 3 operation institution executives connected suspicion of manslaughter arsenic the decease toll reached 55, including 1 firefighter. About 280 radical stay missing.

By Thursday astatine midday, heavy fume continued billowing from the analyzable adjacent the mainland border.

The fire, which began connected Wednesday afternoon, dispersed crossed 7 of 8 buildings, with firefighters gaining power of 4 towers. At slightest 71 radical suffered injuries, chiefly from burns and fume inhalation, with operations expected to proceed until evening.

Lawrence Lee awaited quality of his wife, who remained trapped successful their apartment. “When the occurrence started, I told her connected the telephone to escape. But erstwhile she near the flat, the corridor and stairs were each filled with fume and it was each dark, truthful she had nary prime but to spell backmost to the flat,” helium explained from a shelter.

Winter and Sandy Chung, who successfully evacuated connected Wednesday, recalled seeing flying sparks during their escape. “I couldn’t slumber the full night,” 75-year-old Winter Chung told The Associated Press.

Police arrested 2 directors and an engineering advisor from Prestige Construction & Engineering Company. “We person crushed to judge that those successful complaint of the operation institution were grossly negligent,” Senior Superintendent Eileen Chung stated. Authorities searched the company’s bureau and seized documents arsenic evidence.

Investigators fishy non-compliant materials contributed to the fire’s accelerated spread. Police recovered highly flammable polystyrene foam attached to windows successful the unaffected tower. The blaze originated connected scaffolding extracurricular a 32-storey gathering earlier spreading via bamboo scaffolding and operation netting, accelerated by windy conditions.

The 1980s lodging complex, location to astir 4,800 residents, including galore elderly, was undergoing large renovations. About 900 radical were evacuated to impermanent shelters.

Hong Kong person John Lee announced contiguous information inspections of each lodging estates undergoing renovations. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences and called for efforts to minimise casualties.

This incidental marks Hong Kong’s deadliest occurrence since the 1996 Kowloon commercialized gathering blaze that killed 41 people.