Latest figures released by the Hong Kong fire department puts the death toll in the apartment complex fire at 65 with around 70 people injured. Ten firefighters also sustained injuries in the incident.
As of Thursday, around 55 people have been rescued by firefighters out of almost 300 people who are unaccounted for.
The city's Chief Executive John Lee while giving an update on the situation said that rescue efforts were still ongoing.
"Despite the complex conditions at the scene, the firefighters' rescue efforts will not stop," he said.
An investigation into the blaze which began on Wednesday afternoon is ongoing with police and firefighters entering the scene to collect relevant evidence.
Hong Kong firefighters eventually brought the inferno under control on Thursday while police said its cause could have been a "grossly negligent" construction firm using unsafe materials.
Rescuers battled intense heat and thick smoke for more than a day after the blaze erupted as they fought to reach residents feared trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northern district of Tai Po.
The eight blocks of the tightly packed complex have 2,000 apartments home to more than 4,600 people in the financial hub struggling to overcome chronic shortages of affordable housing.
"We have reason to believe that the company’s responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties," Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong Police Superintendent, said.
Three men from the construction company, two directors and one engineering consultant, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the fire, she added.
Police said in addition to the buildings being covered with protective mesh sheets and plastic that may not meet fire standards.
A firefighter was among the 65 killed, as 45 people remain in critical condition in hospital, Hong Kong police told a press conference before dawn on Thursday.
"The priority is to extinguish the fire and rescue the residents who are trapped," Hong Kong leader John Lee told reporters earlier.
"The second is to support the injured. The third is to support and recover. Then, we'll launch a thorough investigation."
Some 279 people were uncontactable and 900 were in eight shelters, he added.
One 71-year-old resident surnamed Wong broke down in tears, saying his wife was trapped inside.
Harry Cheung, 66, who has lived at Block Two in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard a loud noise and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.
"I don't even know how I feel right now. I'm just thinking about where I'm going to sleep tonight."
More than 1,200 firefighters are battling to control the flames, along with 304 fire engines and rescue vehicles.
Hong Kong's Transport Department said that a number of roads would remain closed in the area on Thursday morning and 39 bus routes have been diverted.
At least six schools will be closed on Thursday due to the fire and traffic congestion, the city's Education Bureau said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Ministe...
At least 20 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, ...
The United Nations has urged sustained international engagement with Afghanistan five years into Taliban rule, warning that restrictions on women a...
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
One person has been killed and six others injured after an explosion at a petroleum storage facility at the Port of Rotterdam, prompting an investigation into the cause.
Record rainfall in Japan killed eight people and stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Friday, as flooding disrupted transport and cut power to 20,000 homes.
At least 20 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, triggering small tsunami waves and dozens of aftershocks, officials say.
Jason Arday, the former University of Cambridge professor at the centre of a plagiarism row, has been found dead. He was appointed Cambridge's youngest ever Black professor in 2023, but quit on 5 August, after being accused of lifting passages from his PhD from the work of other academics.
Wildfires across England and Wales have reached their highest level on record, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council, as firefighters struggle to contain outbreaks following a spell of extreme heat.
A federal court has allowed the Trump administration to move forward with ending temporary immigration protections for Somali nationals living in the United States, a decision that could leave more than 1,000 people vulnerable to deportation.
Iran and Afghanistan are seeking closer cooperation in agriculture, livestock and irrigation during a three-day Iranian ministerial visit to Kabul, as both sides look to strengthen trade and rural economies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment