he fire that engulfed seven buildings in a Hong Kong residential complex has now left 44 dead, more than 80 injured, and at least 279 missing, according to the latest figures released Wednesday by emergency services.
The blaze, has devastated seven of the eight 31-story blocks that make up the Wang Fuk Court complex in the Tai Po district and has become the worst of its kind in Hong Kong in the last three decades.
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The fire started in one of the eight blocks and spread extremely rapidly, fueled by bamboo scaffolding covered with safety netting, tarpaulins, and expanded polystyrene sheets used in exterior renovation work.
In just 43 minutes, the Fire Department raised the alert level from 1 to 4, and four hours later it reached the maximum level 5, the highest on the local scale, a level only activated twice before in Hong Kong’s recent history.
So far, the fires are under control in four of the seven buildings, where nearly 900 firefighters are deployed, advancing floor by floor with the support of four aerial platforms and 26 specialized teams.
According to Hong Kong Fire Chief Andy Yeung, the polystyrene used to seal windows and the scaffolding tarpaulins acted as an accelerant, spreading the flames vertically and horizontally through corridors and across facades.
Severity of the injured
By midnight, 81 people had been taken to hospitals, 45 of whom remained in serious or critical condition, and 36 were treated for injuries of varying severity.
The New Territories Hospital Authority has activated its major emergency protocol at nine hospitals, with special reinforcements in the burn units of three hospitals: Prince of Wales, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole, and North District.
Officers from the New Territories Northern Region arrested three people linked to the contracting company Prestige Construction & Engineering Co Limited on charges of manslaughter: two directors and an engineering consultant, arrested in Ngau Tau Kok, Tai Po, and San Po Kong, respectively.
Chief Superintendent Eileen Chung stated that “police have reason to believe that those responsible acted with gross negligence, which facilitated the rapid spread of the fire and caused numerous fatalities.”
The Chief Executive, John Lee, appeared at Prince of Wales Hospital after visiting the community center set up for those affected and announced the immediate suspension of all public campaigning for the Legislative Council elections scheduled for December 7.
“An election is important, but right now the priority is controlling the fire and supporting the victims,” he declared, without yet confirming whether the elections will be postponed.
