Hong Kong Fire Death Toll Rises to 44 as Search Continues for 279 Missing

AFP | Hong Kong

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Hong Kong police have arrested three men in connection with a massive fire that tore through a residential complex in Tai Po, leaving 44 people dead and 279 others unaccounted for, according to local media reports. The blaze is being described as the city’s worst fire disaster in decades.

The office of Chief Executive John Lee said 29 people remain in hospital. Authorities reported that firefighters were able to bring the blaze largely under control shortly before midnight. Andy Yeung, director of the Fire Services Department, confirmed that one of the victims was a 37-year-old firefighter with nine years of service, noting that his death had deeply affected the department.

According to officials, the fire is believed to have started on the exterior scaffolding of a 32-storey residential tower before spreading rapidly inside the building and to nearby structures. Strong winds and the building’s outer cladding materials are suspected to have contributed to the unusually fast spread of the flames.

More than 140 fire engines and 60 ambulances were dispatched to the scene, as police received dozens of emergency calls from residents trapped in their homes. The complex comprises eight buildings with nearly 2,000 apartments housing about 4,800 residents. Many of those trapped were believed to be elderly. Around 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters.

This is Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1996, when a blaze in Kowloon claimed 41 lives. Authorities are currently investigating whether the buildings’ exterior materials complied with fire-safety standards.