Hong Kong authorities announced that the number of people killed in the fire that affected several buildings in this city increased to 44, and indicated that there are at least 279 people missing after the worst incident recorded in several decades in this Chinese region, a spokesperson for the department said in a press conference.
A little earlier it had been indicated that 29 people were hospitalized, seven of them in critical condition. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, detailed on Wednesday afternoon that more than 140 fire trucks and more than 800 firefighters and paramedics had been deployed to extinguish the fire, in addition to drones that helped in the fight against the flames.
The fire affected seven buildings in Wang Fuk Court, a residential complex located in the Tai Po district that has 1,984 apartments and houses about 4,000 residents. In addition to visiting the hospitalized wounded and the family of a firefighter who lost his life, Lee detailed that eight temporary shelters provide shelter to around 900 residents affected by the tragedy.
Bamboo and polystyrene
The residential complex is immersed in a renovation process worth 330 million Hong Kong dollars (36.6 million euros) that generated discontent among many residents last year. Initial investigations maintain that the polystyrene used in the construction fueled the flames, which started on bamboo scaffolding installed on the outside of the buildings.
The director of the semi-autonomous city’s fire service, Andy Yeung Yan-ki, said that expanded polystyrene, which is used for thermal insulation, had been found inside the damaged buildings. That material, he maintained, caused the fire to spread more quickly between the blocks and set fire to residential apartments through the hallways.
Meanwhile, authorities announced the arrest of three men suspected of involuntary manslaughter for the fire. The Police indicated that they will provide more information in the next few hours. Source: news
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