NEW YORK (Web Desk) – A catastrophic blaze ripped through the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district for a second consecutive day, raising the death toll to 55 in one of the city’s worst modern-day fire disasters.
Firefighters continued battling intense flames and heavy smoke billowing from multiple towers, while contact remained lost with 279 residents, according to Chief Executive John Lee.
The fire erupted Wednesday in bamboo scaffolding and construction netting during renovation works, rapidly engulfing seven of the eight buildings in the crowded complex. Authorities confirmed that 51 victims died on-site, while four more succumbed to injuries in hospital, including a firefighter. Over 70 people were injured, many with severe burns and smoke inhalation, and nearly 900 evacuees spent the night in temporary shelters.
Police arrested three men — directors and an engineering consultant from the construction firm responsible for the renovation — on suspicion of manslaughter, alleging gross negligence. Officers also searched the office of Prestige Construction & Engineering Company and seized documents as part of the investigation. Families anxiously awaited updates, including residents who said their loved ones were trapped due to pitch-black, smoke-filled corridors.
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