Hong Kong high-rise hearth: 3 arrested as loss of life toll climbs to 94 – Nationwide

Firefighters battled for a second day to extinguish a blaze at a high-rise residence advanced in Hong Kong on Thursday, because the loss of life toll rose to 94 in one of many deadliest blazes within the metropolis’s fashionable historical past. Three males had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

Rescuers holding flashlights had been going from residence to residence on the charred towers as thick smoke poured out from some home windows on the Wang Fuk Court docket advanced, a dense cluster of buildings housing 1000’s of individuals in Tai Po district, a northern suburb close to Hong Kong’s border with the mainland.

Officers mentioned firefighters had been nonetheless engaged on a handful of residences and making an attempt to enter all the items within the seven towers to make sure there have been no additional casualties.

“Our firefighting operation is nearly full,” mentioned Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Hearth Providers Operations. Firefighters had been working exhausting “to forestall the particles and embers from flaring up. What’s subsequent is the search and rescue operation,” he added.

It was unclear how many individuals remained lacking or trapped. Hong Kong chief John Lee mentioned contact had been misplaced with 279 folks early Thursday. Authorities didn’t present updates on the lacking folks or what number of had been nonetheless contained in the ravaged buildings Thursday throughout a press convention.

3:44
Lethal Hong Kong hearth rips by way of residential advanced, kills a minimum of 36

Video confirmed rescuers looking in some residences at nighttime. Orange flames had been nonetheless seen from inside a number of home windows, although the entire advanced was now largely a blackened damage.

Firefighters have been making an attempt to manage the flames since midafternoon Wednesday, when the fireplace was believed to have began in bamboo scaffolding and building netting after which unfold throughout seven of the advanced’s eight buildings.

Chan mentioned the blaze unfold “exceptionally quick” throughout the towers, and emergency employees struggled to achieve entry inside.

“Particles and scaffolding had been falling from higher flooring,” he informed reporters. “There are additionally different causes like excessive temperature, darkness … (and) emergency automobile entry was blocked by fallen scaffolding and particles, making our entry to the constructing very tough.”

Get each day Nationwide information

Get the day’s prime information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.

Greater than 70 folks had been injured, together with 11 firefighters, in addition to the 94 killed, the Hearth Providers Division mentioned. About 900 folks had been evacuated to non permanent shelters in a single day.

Pope Leo XIV despatched a telegram to Hong Kong’s bishop Thursday, saying he was saddened by the fireplace and providing prayers for the injured, their households and emergency employees.

Resident Lawrence Lee was ready for information about his spouse, who he believed was nonetheless trapped of their residence.

“When the fireplace began, I informed her on the cellphone to flee. However as soon as she left the flat, the hall and stairs had been all crammed with smoke and it was all darkish, so she had no alternative however to return to the flat,” he mentioned, as he waited in one of many shelters in a single day.

Winter and Sandy Chung, who lived in one of many towers, mentioned they noticed sparks fly round as they evacuated Wednesday afternoon. Though they had been protected, they had been apprehensive about their dwelling. “I couldn’t sleep the whole night time,” Winter Chung, 75, informed The Related Press on Thursday.

Three males, the administrators and an engineering marketing consultant of a building firm, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Police haven’t instantly named the corporate the place they work.

“We’ve purpose to imagine that these accountable for the development firm had been grossly negligent,” mentioned Eileen Chung, a senior superintendent of police.

Police on Thursday additionally searched the workplace of Status Development & Engineering Firm, which the AP confirmed was accountable for renovations within the tower advanced. Police seized containers of paperwork as proof, in accordance with native media. Telephones for Status rang unanswered.

Authorities suspected some supplies on the outside partitions of the high-rise buildings didn’t meet hearth resistance requirements, permitting the unusually quick unfold of the fireplace.

Police additionally mentioned they discovered plastic foam panels — that are extremely flammable — connected to the home windows on every flooring close to the elevator foyer of the one unaffected tower. It was believed to have been put in by the development firm however the goal was not clear. Secretary for Safety Chris Tang mentioned they might examine the supplies additional.

The housing advanced consisted of eight buildings with virtually 2,000 residences for about 4,800 residents, together with many older folks. It was constructed within the Nineteen Eighties and had been present process a significant renovation. Hong Kong’s anti-corruption company mentioned on Thursday it was launching a probe into potential corruption referring to the renovation undertaking.

Officers mentioned the fireplace began on the exterior scaffolding of a 32-story tower, then unfold on the bamboo scaffolding and building netting to the within of the constructing after which to the opposite buildings, possible aided by windy circumstances.

Bamboo scaffolding is a standard sight in Hong Kong at constructing building and renovation tasks, although Lee mentioned officers will meet with trade representatives to debate a change to metallic scaffolding amid security issues.

“Whereas we all know that bamboo scaffolding has an extended historical past in Hong Kong, its flame retardancy is inferior to that of metallic scaffolding. For security causes, the federal government believes {that a} full change to metallic scaffolding ought to be carried out in appropriate working environments,” mentioned Eric Chan, the Chief Secretary for Administration.

Authorities can even be finishing up instant inspections of all housing estates which can be present process main renovation work to make sure scaffolding and building supplies meet security requirements.

The fireplace was the deadliest in Hong Kong in a long time. In November 1996, 41 folks died in a industrial constructing in Kowloon in a fireplace that lasted for round 20 hours.