At least 44 killed and hundreds missing after huge inferno devastates apartments in Hong Kong
Three arrested after Hong Kong fire leaves at least 44 dead and 279 missing
- A severe fire erupted across three blocks of the Wang Fuk Court high-rise housing complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district on Wednesday afternoon.
- Three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to the Tai Po fire, according to Radio Television Hong Kong.
- At least 44 people have died, with at least 45 others in a critical condition following the incident. One firefighter is among the deceased.
- Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, but the bamboo scaffolding and green construction mesh in the buildings may have helped it to spread quickly across the apartments, according to The Guardian.
- 279 people remain unaccounted as police say they have received multiple reports of residents trapped inside the homes, and firefighters are actively battling the fierce flames and thick smoke.