What to know about the apartment fire in Hong Kong

HONG KONG AP Hong Kong s worst fire in memory was still smoldering in several apartment towers Thursday as firefighters struggled to rescue dozens of people who remained unaccounted for At least people were known to have died in the blaze that broke out Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Taipo a suburb in the city s mountainous New Territories Dozens more were injured and about of the residents were evacuated to temporary shelters overnight Seven of the eight -story towers in the building complex were engulfed in flames after construction materials and bamboo scaffolding caught fire Executives commented that extreme heat was hampering rescue efforts The fire was deadlier than one in November when people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a blaze that lasted for around hours Here s what to know about the tragedy Why the buildings burst into flames Personnel are exploring why construction materials netting and bamboo scaffolding being used in renovations to the outsides of the high-rise buildings at Wang Fuk Court caught fire In the meantime executives arrested three people the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter Police did not name the company but they searched the office of Prestige Construction Engineering Co which The Associated Press proven was in charge of the renovations Phone calls to the company s offices went unanswered Officers declared they suspect that chosen materials such as plastic foam panels being used to protect windows from damage did not meet fire resistance standards High winds helped spread the flames The type of buildings affected About a third of Hong Kong residents live in the authorities s Housing Authority dwellings Wang Fuk Court is a complex of privately-owned but subsidized housing Built in the s the basic apartments measure - square meters - square feet according to online real estate listings Like the majority Hong Kong mass domain housing they appear not to be equipped with smoke detectors or sprinkler systems The buildings were constructed before revisions to Hong Kong s fire codes required mandatory fire refuge floors Hong Kong s million residents mostly live in cramped apartments crammed on scarce flat lands or perched on the slopes of steep mountainsides Various of those high-rise buildings are crowded closely together How Hong Kong s officers have responded Firefighters struggled to bring the blazes under control as their ladders and hoses could only reach just over halfway up the -story buildings or about meters feet under stories High winds and extremely high heat may have prevented use of aerial equipment such as helicopters The high temperatures also deterred firefighters from entering the buildings to fight the blaze and rescue survivors commented Derek Armstrong Chan deputy director of Hong Kong s Fire Institution Operations Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee commented the executive would set up a task force to conduct a full review into the calamity He disclosed the situation would be submitted to the Coroner s Court which conducts inquiries into the causes and circumstances of certain deaths Lee mentioned the authorities planned to inspect all housing estates undergoing major repairs to review the safety of scaffolding and construction materials He also promised to provide all realizable assistance to those affected by the fire Helping the survivors The hundreds of survivors who were evacuated or were outside the buildings at the time the fire started were staying in temporary shelters including a nearby school There workers were distributing bottled water food and other necessities Participants were bringing supplies like water and snacks Seventy people were injured the city s Fire Services Department announced The Hospital Authority reported earlier that taken to hospitals were in critical condition Source