Kuwait city: The death toll in a devastating fire that engulfed seven residential buildings in Hong Kong has risen to 44, with 279 individuals still unaccounted for, as reported by the public broadcaster, Radio Television Hong Kong. The information was sourced from the Fire Services Department.
According to Kuwait News Agency, of the 62 people injured in the blaze that swept through a Tai Po housing estate starting Wednesday afternoon, 17 remain in critical condition in the hospital. The fire prompted the police to arrest three men linked to a contractor conducting renovation work at the estate on suspicion of manslaughter. The estate, consisting of eight blocks and approximately 2,000 flats, was undergoing renovation at the time of the incident.
The blaze at Wang Fuk Court ignited just before 3 p.m. local time (0700 am GMT) on Wednesday. Video footage from the scene illustrated bamboo scaffolding ablaze on multiple blocks with thick plumes of smoke engulfing the area.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee stated early Thursday that the immediate priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue those trapped. "Through the continuous hard work of firefighters, the situation at the scene was gradually brought under control. Up until now, the assessment of the director of fire services is that the department has sufficient manpower and ability to handle the fire," Lee informed reporters.