36 dead, 279 missing in Hong Kong blaze, 3 arrested | Top points

Wang Fuk Court, where the blaze erupted, is a large residential estate consisting of eight towers with nearly 2,000 flats.

At least 36 people lost their lives and 279 people were reported missing after a deadly fire erupted in a high-rise residential complex known as Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong on Wednesday, according to the region’s chief executive John Lee.

Over 140 fire trucks and 60 ambulances were deployed at the scene to bring the fire under control and rescue people stuck inside the building. (AP)

The local media reported that three people were arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the blaze.

Among those who died in one of the deadliest fires that Hong Kong has ever witnessed, which reportedly kept burning for hours, was also a fire fighter. At least 29 people were hospitalised, out of which, seven were in critical condition.

Chaos erupted in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district after the fire triggered evacuation of hundreds of residents.

Here are top points on the Hong Kong fire-

• The cause of the fire is being investigated. John Lee said that a dedicated team has been set up to probe the same. “Police and the Fire Services Department have already set up a dedicated investigation team to investigate the cause of the fire,” news agency Associated Press quoted Lee as saying.
• The fire erupted in Hong Kong’s residential complex mid-afternoon on Wednesday and continued to burn during the early hours of Thursday, despite continuous efforts by the fire fighters.
• However, according to Lee, the blaze was “coming under control” shortly after midnight.
• While it is not yet certain what triggered the fire, according to officials, it started at the external scaffolding of a 32-storey building before later spreading to inside the building and nearby towers, possibly because of winds, the AP report added. The blaze spread across seven high-rise buildings in the residential complex.

Also see: Inferno, smoke, despair: Fire engulfs Hong Kong residential building | In Pics

• Wang Fuk Court, where the blaze erupted, is a large residential estate consisting of eight towers with nearly 2,000 flats. It is home to about 4,800 residents, including several elderly people.
• Fire fighters faced several challenges to bring the fire under control. According to fire chiefs, due to high temperatures, it was difficult for the crews to carry out rescue operations. Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Service operations, said that debris and scaffolding from the affected buildings was falling down, making the rescue operations and efforts to douse the blaze challenging.
• "The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations,” Chan said.
• Over 140 fire trucks and 60 ambulances were deployed at the scene to bring the fire under control and rescue people stuck inside the affected buildings. As of Wednesday night, some residents remained trapped inside the affected buildings, according to the fire department.
• The tragedy left several people in Hong Kong homeless, for whom temporary shelters have been set up by Tai Po district officials.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed condolences over the death of the victims, including the firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty. According to state broadcaster CCTV, Xi “offered sympathies to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, and called for making every effort to extinguish the fire and minimise casualties and losses.”

(With inputs from AP, AFP)