A fire broke out on the 26th at Wang Fuk Court, a public housing estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong, which has so far resulted in 44 fatalities. Hong Kong police have arrested three men suspected of manslaughter.
Meanwhile, local media reported that 279 people are missing.
During the investigation, Hong Kong police discovered that the building’s exterior walls were covered with protective netting, waterproof canvas, and plastic sheets, which are suspected not to meet fire safety standards. There is also another building that was not affected by the fire, but each elevator lobby window on every floor is sealed with foam panels, which are flammable and may have accelerated the spread of the fire. Police do not rule out the possibility that these foam panels contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze.
Police found that an engineering company was responsible for installing the aforementioned materials and believe that negligence by the company’s leadership led to the rapid spread of the fire, resulting in significant casualties. The three individuals arrested are responsible persons of the engineering company, including two directors and one engineering consultant, aged between 52 and 68.