Hong Kong fire: 55 dead, over 300 missing - Reuters

At least 55 people have died and nearly 300 are missing after a fire at a residential complex in Hong Kong. This was reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.

Details

According to Hong Kong police, the fire may have been caused by "gross negligence" on the part of the construction company, which used dangerous materials.

Almost a day after the fire started, firefighters were trying to reach residents who were believed to be trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court residential complex due to the intense heat and thick smoke from the fire.

The densely built complex in the northern district of Tai Po houses 2,000 apartments in eight blocks, home to more than 4,600 people in a city struggling with a chronic shortage of affordable housing, Reuters reports.

Among the 55 dead was a firefighter, and dozens of people are in critical condition in hospital, Hong Kong authorities said on Thursday evening. 279 people are still unaccounted for. Another 900 residents have been accommodated in eight shelters.

Recall

The fire spread to several apartment buildings in a residential complex in Hong Kong. Initially, it was reported that 4 people had died, but later this figure rose to 36 people.

The raging fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke, spreading through the bamboo scaffolding and construction nets installed around the complex in the Tai Po area. The fire was discovered in the afternoon.

Subsequently, police arrested three men suspected of involvement in the large-scale fire in the residential complex in the Tai Po district.