Firefighters fought for the second day this Thursday against One of the deadliest fires in modern times in Hong KongTrying to control the fire, which blackened several high-rise towers and left at least one of them 55 dead. The victims included a firefighter and 68 other people were injured, many with burns and inhalation injuries. Three men from a construction company were arrested On suspicion of manslaughter, rescue operations continued.
Thick smoke continued to rise from the Wang Fook Court complex in the Tai Po area, a northern suburb close to the mainland border, on Thursday afternoon in Hong Kong. The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon. It spread to seven of the complex’s eight buildingsFour of the towers were brought under control in the morning, according to the city’s fire services.
The authorities suspect this Some materials on the exterior wallss of high-rise buildings Did not meet fire resistance standardsThis allowed the fire to spread unusually quickly.
The police said that too I found styrofoamhighly flammable, stuck to windows on all floors near the elevator lobby in the only tower that was not affected. It is believed that the construction company installed it, but its purpose was not clear. Security Minister Chris Tang said they would investigate the material further.
The detainees are directors of a construction company and an engineering consultant. Police on Thursday also searched the office of Prestige Construction and Engineering Company, which the Associated Press confirmed was responsible for renovations at the tower complex.
Local media reported that police confiscated boxes of documents as evidence. Calls to Prestige phones were not answered. “We have reason to believe that those responsible for the construction company They were blatantly negligentsaid Elaine Chung, Chief Inspector of Police.
The fire started on the outside scaffolding A 32-storey towerIt then spread by bamboo scaffolding and construction netting inside the building, and then to other buildings, perhaps with the help of wind.
Firefighters directed water at the intense flames from the top of ladder trucks, however The conditions for fighting the fire and rescuing people remained complicated.
Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of operations at the fire service, explained, “The temperature inside the damaged buildings is very high. It is difficult for us to enter the building and climb up to carry out firefighting and rescue operations.” Crews said the operation could continue until at least Thursday evening.
The residential complex consists of Eight buildings contain approximately 2,000 apartments for approximately 4,800 residentsAmong them are many elderly people. It was built in the 1980s and has undergone a major renovation.
About 900 people were evacuated To temporary shelters overnight, Hong Kong leader John Lee said around midnight that Contact was lost with 279 people. Rescue operations are still ongoing, but no updated number was available as of midday Thursday.
Resident Lawrence Lee was waiting for news of his wife, who was still trapped in their apartment. “When the fire broke out, I asked him on the phone to run away,” he said from one shelter. “But as soon as he left the apartment, the hallway and stairs were filled with smoke and everything was dark, so he had no choice but to return to the apartment.”
Winter and Sandy Chung, who lived in one of the towers, said sparks flew around them as they evacuated at night. Although they were safe, they were worried about their home. “I couldn’t sleep all night,” Winter Zhong, 75, said.
John Lee announced that the government would prioritize the disaster and He will suspend the election campaign From December 7 to the Legislative Council. He did not say whether it was possible to postpone the elections, but indicated that decisions would be made “in a few days.”
chinese leader, Xi JinpingHe expressed his condolences to the deceased firefighter and expressed his sympathy to the families of the victims, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He also urged efforts to reduce human losses.
This fire is the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades. In November 1996, 41 people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a fire that lasted about 20 hours.