At least 44 people are dead, 279 are missing and dozens are injured after a fire engulfed seven residential towers in Tai Po on Wednesday. Of those hospitalised, 45 remain in a serious condition.
Police said three men, aged between 52 and 68, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter – each are from a construction firm. One is an engineering consultant, and two are directors. The force has formed a joint investigation with the Fire Services Department.
As of the early hours of Thursday, the fire at Wang Fuk Court is under control but continues to smoulder, as 900 people seek refuge in nearby shelters.
The residential complex is home to around 4,000 people and has around 2,000 units.
The spread of the fire was exacerbated by the green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding which surrounded each building as part of renovation works. As of this March, both were being phased out in Hong Kong for safety reasons.
The cause of the fire – which began just before 3pm at Wang Cheong House – remains unknown, but security chief Chris Tang said that waterproof tarpaulins, protective nets, and plastic sheeting burned “far more violently” than compliant materials, with flames spreading more rapidly around the 31-storey blocks.
Police said Styrofoam materials were also used to seal windows during the renovation by Prestige Construction & Engineering Co Limited, likely worsening the situation.
Police said: “We have reason to believe that those in charge at the company were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties.”
By around 6pm on Wednesday, the fire was upgraded to a no. 5 alarm fire, the highest level. Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of operations at the Fire Services Department, said that 767 firefighters, 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances had been deployed.
Among the dead is a firefighter, a 37-year-old surnamed Ho, who belonged to the Sha Tin Fire Station. He was dispatched to the scene at 3.01pm.
Election uncertain
Calling the blaze a “massive catastrophe,” Chief Executive John Lee said he was deeply saddened: “The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped. The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we’ll launch a thorough investigation,” Lee told reporters.
He added that authorities would consider postponing the December 8 “patriots only” election. “We will make a comprehensive review and decision in several days based on Hong Kong’s overall interests.”
Election forums on Thursday and Friday have been suspended, and political parties have paused campaigning until further notice.
China’s President Xi Jinping urged an “all-out effort” to put out the the fire and to minimise casualties, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Wednesday’s blaze marks the first time in 17 years since a No. 5 alarm has been raised – the last involved a fire at Cornwall Court in Mong Kok which left four dead.
Last month, four people were hospitalised and dozens evacuated after a fire broke out on the bamboo scaffolding of a building in Central.
