Police search premises of housing estate’s building maintenance firm in San Po Kong, seize documents containing mention of Wang Fuk Court
Hong Kong authorities have vowed to launch an investigation, including criminal probes, into the city’s deadliest fire at a Tai Po estate, which has killed at least 44 people and left scores injured, 45 in critical condition. Some 279 residents remain missing and more than 900 have taken refuge at eight temporary shelters.
As of 6am, fire at 4 out of the seven blocks have been brought under control. Full-scale rescue work is ongoing and victims are still being extracted from the buildings.
According to a preliminary investigation, officers discovered styrofoam inside the buildings, which authorities said caused the fire to spread more rapidly within the blocks and ignite flats through the corridors.
Police officers have searched the premises of the housing estate’s building maintenance company in San Po Kong, and seized documents containing any mention of Wang Fuk Court.
Three people, including two directors and a consultant of the contractor responsible for the renovation of the buildings, have been arrested for gross negligence. They allegedly used non-compliant materials in scaffolding nets and sealed windows with styrofoam, which led to fire and caused it to spread rapidly.
President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences in a late evening statement and called for “all-out efforts” to minimise casualties and losses. After visiting the injured in hospital early on Thursday, city leader John Lee Ka-chiu vowed to investigate the fire and the scaffolding.
The fire was first reported at 2.51pm on Wednesday and soon grew into an inferno, with huge plumes of dark smoke billowing high into the sky at the scene at Wang Fuk Court, and the flames quickly spreading to seven out of eight blocks in the estate.
Police said they received multiple reports of people trapped in the building where the blaze started, with a man and a woman reportedly unconscious and suffering from burns as being among the first victims.
The blaze was initially classified as a No 1 alarm fire but was quickly raised to No 4 by 3.34pm and then to the top-level No 5 at 6.22pm. In Hong Kong, fires are rated on a scale of one to five, with higher numbers indicating greater severity.
Footage from the scene shows bamboo scaffolding outside several flats of the building engulfed in flames, with burning sections of green scaffolding mesh falling to the ground.
Hotlines for help and donations:
Casualty enquiry hotline of police: 1878 999
Health Bureau’s Mental Health Support Hotline: 18111
Tai Po District Office help desk at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital for assistance and public enquiries: 2658 4040.
Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (donations): 8209 8122
Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (donations): 2772 2322
