Hong Kong, November 27 : At least 83 people have been killed and more than 100 injured so far after the massive fire swept through an extensive public housing complex in Hong Kong, marking one of the city's deadliest disasters in decades, CNN reported, citing local authorities and Hong Kong media.
According to CNN, the inferno, which broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court estate in the Tai Po district, continued burning into Thursday, with firefighters warning that extreme heat and falling debris severely hindered rescue efforts.
More than 200 residents remain unaccounted for, CNN reported, citing Hong Kong's public broadcaster, RTHK.
Firefighters rescued a man alive from the 16th floor on Thursday evening, even as several parts of the complex continued to smoulder more than 24 hours after the fire began.
The complexhome to over 4,000 residents, many of them elderlywas undergoing renovation and was fully wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and safety netting, a traditional construction method widely used across Hong Kong. Authorities are now investigating whether flammable materials used in the renovation, including polystyrene boards found blocking windows, may have accelerated the spread of the blaze, CNN reported.
Hong Kong Police on Thursday arrested three men linked to the renovation project on suspicion of "gross negligence".
Officials said early findings indicate that the polystyrene boards and other construction materials, such as nets and canvas, did not meet safety standards, as reported by CNN.
"These polystyrene boards are extremely inflammable, and the fire spread very rapidly," Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung said, as quoted by CNN, adding that their presence on residential windows was "unusual" and had been referred to the police for further investigation.
The fire began shortly before 3 PM on Wednesday (local time) at Wang Cheong House, a 32-storey tower within the eight-block estate.
By the time emergency crews arrived, the scaffolding was already engulfed, and the flames leapt from one tower to another, turning the incident into a multi-building disaster affecting at least seven of the eight blocks, CNN reported.
More than 800 firefighters, supported by 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances, were deployed. A 37-year-old firefighter, identified as Ho Wai-ho, died from injuries sustained during efforts to contain the blaze.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that while most fires across the buildings were "basically under control" by Thursday evening, the full extent of the loss remains unclear.
Authorities are probing why the surrounding towers were not evacuated more swiftly as the fire spread.
Hundreds of residents have been displaced in a city already grappling with a severe housing shortage. The government has opened temporary shelters and announced a "one social worker per household" policy to ensure personalised assistance for affected families, as reported by CNN.
Visibly shaken residents gathered near the estate on Thursday to assess the damage.
This is believed to be Hong Kong's deadliest fire since World War II. The previous worst peacetime fire was the 1996 Garley Building blaze, which killed 41 people.
The disaster has triggered intense scrutiny of Hong Kong's long-standing reliance on bamboo scaffoldingvalued for its flexibility but also flammable and prone to weathering.
The city's Development Bureau recently mandated that at least half of all new public projects use metal scaffolding, a move that has drawn mixed reactions.
A citywide inspection of scaffolding and construction materials at renovation sites has now been ordered. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered his condolences to the victims of the Wang Fuk Court tragedy, Xinhua reported.
He extended his sympathies to the victims' families and those affected by the incident and called for maximum efforts to extinguish the fire and reduce casualties and damage.
According to Xinhua, Xi closely monitored the situation and requested regular updates on rescue operations and casualties and instructed the director of the Liaison Office of the Government in Hong Kong to convey his condolences and support to Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee also said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life, extending his condolences to the families of those who died and to the injured.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life, extending his condolences to the families of those who died and to the injured.
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