The death toll in Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire has now reached 55, according to local media reports, with 68 people in hospital – 16 of them in a critical condition and 25 with injuries described as serious.
Worryingly, around 280 people are thought to be still missing, with heartbreaking scenes reported of tearful parents still searching for children and spouses looking for their partners a full day after the blaze began.
Media reports suggest that several missing cases may have been resolved, but there has been as yet no official confirmation of people unaccounted for being found at shelters or in hospitals. Queues have formed at a local community centre, where photos of the deceased have been displayed.
The fire, which burned in seven of the eight buildings that make up Wang Fuk Court estate, has now been brought under control, but the death toll can be expected to rise further as search teams make their way through the hundreds of charred apartments.
Meanwhile, an investigation into the causes of the blaze is well underway. Three people connected to a construction company undertaking renovations at the estate have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence. They are thought to be two directors of the company – Prestige Construction and Engineering – and a consultant engineer.
[See more: Four ways you can help victims of Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire]
Detectives have also raided a house in the suburb of Tin Shui Wai in connection with the probe, and the city’s anti-corruption watchdog has launched its own investigation into whether graft played a role in the blaze.
It has been suggested that the fire, which began yesterday afternoon, spread quickly because materials used in the renovation – such as netting, tarpaulin, plastic sheeting and styrofoam window seals – were substandard and not flame retardant.
Bamboo scaffolding, commonly used on Hong Kong building sites for its low cost, also went up like firewood in the tinder dry conditions, fanned by strong monsoon winds.
Hong Kong’s top official, Chief Executive John Lee, has ordered an investigation into renovation work being carried out at all public estates in Hong Kong.
Several unverified photos posted by social media users this afternoon appeared to show netting and other materials being hastily taken down at several construction sites around the city.
