Three individuals have been apprehended in relation to the devastating fire in Hong Kong that claimed the lives of at least 83 people on Wednesday, according to authorities. The suspects, identified only as two executives of a construction firm and a consultant, were detained on suspicion of manslaughter linked to the catastrophic fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. They were charged with gross negligence after emergency personnel reportedly discovered that the building materials used in the construction did not comply with safety regulations, as per city officials.
The city was thrown into turmoil early Wednesday when a fire began to consume seven of the eight buildings in the district’s residential complex. Firefighters and emergency personnel worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames and rescue hundreds of residents, many of whom were elderly. Onlookers gathered on a nearby overhead walkway, watching in horror as smoke billowed from the buildings, some of which were covered in bamboo scaffolding.
The fire’s cause is still under investigation, and nearly 280 people remain unaccounted for. Among those affected were Tong PingMoon, 74, and his wife, who were initially reluctant to evacuate their apartment complex when the smell of smoke began to fill the air. However, they were forced to seek refuge in a sealed bathroom for three hours when thick smoke started to fill their 10th-floor apartment, before firefighters were able to rescue them.
Survivors, including the Tongs, have been relocated to a school serving as a temporary shelter. Yet, many chose to stay and watch as firefighters battled to save their homes. Jason Kong, a resident of the Tai Po complex, anxiously awaited news about his dog and neighbors still trapped inside the burning building. Kong was prevented by police from entering the building to rescue his dog, and he feared the worst for his pet.
Like other residents, Kong was puzzled by the fire’s rapid spread to six other buildings. Residents were alerted to the initial blaze around 3 p.m. local time. As officials probe the fire’s cause, they are also investigating why it spread so quickly. The city’s housing authorities are examining whether the buildings’ protective layers were adequately fireproof, according to Hong Kong chief John Lee.
The residential complex was notably surrounded by bamboo scaffolding, which is being phased out nationwide due to safety concerns, amid ongoing construction. The incident bears a striking resemblance to the deadly 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, which resulted in 72 fatalities. In that incident, an official inquiry determined that inadequate fire safety regulations and “dishonest” construction companies had clad the 24-story building in combustible materials, setting the stage for a tragedy.