3 Arrested in Connection With Hong Kong Fire

Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades burned through the night, leaving at least 44 people dead and 279 reported missing with rescuers still pulling residents from blazing high-rise apartment buildings into Thursday morning. Police arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire which began Wednesday afternoon in a housing complex in Tai Po district, the AP reports. By Thursday morning local time, the fire was yet to be put out and rescues continued. Hundreds of residents were evacuated as the fire spread across seven of the eight 31-story towers in the Wang Fuk Court complex.

A column of flames and thick smoke rose as the blaze spread quickly on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the exterior of the buildings. Forty of the 44 fatalities were declared dead at the scene, officials said. At least 62 others were injured, many suffering from burn and inhalation injuries. Authorities suspected some materials on the exterior walls of the high-rise buildings did not meet fire resistance standards, as the rapid spread of the fire was unusual. Police also said they found Styrofoam materials, which are highly flammable, outside the windows on each floor near the lift lobby of the one unaffected tower, believed to be installed by a construction company. "We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent," said Eileen Chung, a senior superintendent of police.

The three men arrested, aged 52 to 68, are the directors and an engineering consultant of the firm. Police searched the offices of the firm, Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, and removed documents pertaining to the project, the South China Morning Post reports. Investigators believe Styrofoam was used to seal windows in all the buildings during renovation work. The mesh netting outside the buildings also allegedly failed to meet safety standards. The fire at four of the buildings was "coming under control" by Thursday morning, according to the Fire Services Department.