A massive blaze at a high-rise complex in Hong Kong kept burning on Thursday. Officials said the fire killed 44 people. They contained the flames in four buildings, but smoke still rose from three others. Rescue workers continued searching for people trapped inside.
Police arrested three people on suspicion of manslaughter.
Almost 300 residents are missing. Reuters reported that unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work likely caused the fire.
Most missing residents are believed to be on the upper floors. Strong heat and thick smoke are slowing the rescue work.
Deputy fire services director Derek Chan said falling debris is putting firefighters at risk. “Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings are falling down, so they pose additional danger to our frontline personnel,” Bloomberg quoted him.
Officials say the fire spread unusually fast
Secretary for Security Chris Tang called the blaze “unusual”. He said material on the building’s exterior burned faster than expected.
“Protective netting, fire-resistant cloth and plastic sheeting on the exterior of the building burned far more intensely and spread much faster than compliant materials normally would,” Bloomberg quoted Tang.
Police found more safety problems. Officers discovered windows in a nearby building sealed with foam. A construction company working on maintenance had installed the foam.
Hong Kong police superintendent Eileen Chung accused the company of extreme negligence.
"We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties," she said.
The fire began at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po, where about 5,000 people lived.
Xi Jinping responds to the tragedy
Chinese President Xi Jinping reacted to the accident. He told Hong Kong authorities to “make every effort” to put out the fire and rescue those trapped.
"Xi Jinping expressed condolences for those who died in the major fire at a residential estate in Tai Po District, New Territories, Hong Kong, including the firefighter who died in the line of duty," CCTV reported.
The firefighter was a 37-year-old officer who died while trying to save residents.