Devastating Hong Kong Apartment Fire Kills At Least 44 People

At least 44 people are dead and hundreds of others are missing after a massive fire at an apartment complex in Hong Kong, and three potential perpetrators have been arrested.

While the fire broke out over 24 hours ago, firefighters are still battling the remnants of the blaze after it jumped buildings, burning down an entire apartment complex. What began as a small fire quickly erupted into a multi-structure inferno, killing at least 44 people. Additionally, over 270 people remain missing, and officials fear that the death toll will continue to rise in the coming days.

Dozens of people have been hospitalized with injuries like burns and smoke inhalation, and hundreds of others are now in temporary housing after evacuating from the buildings.

Eight apartment buildings were in the complex, and seven burned down in the ferocious fire, which took place at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district. Over 4,600 people lived in the complex, which contained almost 2,000 apartments.

Firefighting teams rushed to the scene, working to rescue as many people as possible, but many residents on upper floors became trapped after stairways and elevators were obstructed by flames. Furthermore, the complex maintains an abundance of senior citizen residents, rendering them even more vulnerable during the disaster.

Authorities are not completely sure what initiated the blaze, but they have determined that it spread in an unusually quick manner and was able to bound from high-rise to high-rise. They have begun a thorough investigation into the incident.

Officials have found, though, that a renovation was taking place, and bamboo scaffolding surrounded the under-construction facades of various buildings. Bamboo scaffolding remains prevalent across China and Hong Kong, as it is an ancient construction material that has been used for centuries, but recent incidents involving its safety have led to calls for safer scaffolding materials.

Other construction materials, like safety netting and plastic covers were also in place, but police discovered that many of these other materials were not in compliance with local safety laws, suggesting that they may have contributed to the incredibly quick spread of the fire.

Three people have been arrested under the charges of manslaughter due to gross negligence, as all three serve as higher-ups within a construction company that could allegedly be responsible for the fire. The company's logo was found on several boards that were blocking windows, and they could also be at fault for the aforementioned material violations that could have also contributed to the blaze.

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