Hong Kong police arrest three as apartment fire death toll rises to 44, hundreds missing
Summary
A massive fire in Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court apartment complex has killed at least 44 people, with hundreds missing, possibly exacerbated by unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work. Authorities have arrested three construction company officials on suspicion of manslaughter.
Key Points
- At least 44 people have died in a fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Hong Kong, with nearly 300 missing.
- Police suspect the fire spread due to unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work, leading to arrests of three construction company officials.
- The complex uses bamboo scaffolding and green construction mesh, which have been under a safety phase-out in Hong Kong.
- The fire is the deadliest in Hong Kong since World War Two, surpassing a 1996 commercial building fire death toll.
