Hong Kong High-Rise Fire: 44 DEAD, 279+ Missing as DEADLY BLAZE Rips Through 7 Buildings; 3 Arrested

Oneindia

Firefighters were still dousing a devastating fire Thursday which ripped through a Hong Kong high-rise complex, killing at least 44 people and leaving hundreds missing according to authorities. The inferno -- the financial hub's worst in decades -- took hold on Wednesday afternoon in an eight-building housing estate with 2,000 apartments and sent shockwaves through the city, which has some of the world's most densely populated and tallest residential blocks. Police said early on Thursday they arrested three men in connection with the fire, after flammable materials left during maintenance work caused the blaze "to spread rapidly beyond control".    #HongKongHighRiseFire #HongKongFire #HongKongOnFire #HongKongFireToday #HongKongHighRise #HongKongBuildingFire #MassiveFireHongKong #FireInHongKong #HongKongFireNow #HongKongFires #HongKongTowerFire #BigFireHongKong #HongKongFireLive #HongKongFireBriefing #FireServicesHongKong #HongKongHighRiseBuildingFire #HKFire #HongKongEmergency #HongKongBreaking #HongKongNews  ~HT.318~ED.102~PR.152~

Transcript

00:00A devastating high-rise fire in Hong Kong has claimed at least 44 lives, with hundreds more

00:24still unaccounted for, marking the city's deadliest blaze in decades.

00:29The Inferno, which broke out Wednesday afternoon in the sprawling Wang Phuk Court residential

00:35complex in Taipo, continued to smolder into Thursday as firefighters struggled to reach

00:40trapped residents.

00:43The fire began on bamboo scaffolding surrounding several of the estate's tower blocks, which

00:48were undergoing maintenance.

00:50Within minutes, flames raced up the exterior of the buildings, fueled by strong winds and

00:55burning debris.

00:57Witnesses described the terrifying scene — loud cracking sounds, thick smoke filling the air,

01:02and flames licking up dozens of stories, lighting the night sky with an ominous orange glow.

01:09Longtime residents said the tragedy unfolded with little warning.

01:13Many windows had been sealed during the renovation, making it difficult for people to notice the

01:17danger.

01:18As panic spread, more than 900 residents fled to temporary shelters, with families desperately

01:24searching for loved ones.

01:26A police officer at one shelter said the number of missing people remained unclear because worried

01:31relatives were still arriving to report those who had not made contact.

01:35Fire crews battled not only the towering flames, but deadly conditions inside the buildings.

01:41Police later arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter, though authorities have not yet

01:46disclosed their alleged connection to the blaze.

01:50Investigators are also examining whether building materials or renovation practices caused the

01:54fire to spread unusually fast.

01:56The tragedy has shaken Hong Kong.

01:59President Xi Jinping offered condolences to the victims and urged authorities to spare no

02:03effort in extinguishing the fire and minimizing further loss.

02:07Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, said he was deeply saddened and that government departments were fully

02:13mobilized to help residents.

02:15Meanwhile, those living in nearby blocks were evacuated as a precaution and sections of a

02:20major highway were closed, while firefighters continued their dangerous work.

02:25Once frequent in Hong Kong's dense urban neighborhoods, deadly fires have become rare in recent decades

02:31thanks to improved safety standards.

02:33This blaze, however, has brought haunting reminders of the past and raised urgent questions about

02:38building safety in one of the world's most vertical cities.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended