Hong Kong fire live updates: rescue crews search apartment blocks for survivors; dozens killed and hundreds missing after blaze – latest

Hong Kong blaze: what we know so farAlmost 280 people are still missing amid the Hong Kong blaze that has killed at least 44 people and left dozens more in critical condition.Our just-launched rundown on what we know so far about the fire also details how it has not yet been fully extinguished but the flames in the four buildings are under control.The Wang Fuk Court complex is made up of eight 32-storey towers, containing about 2,000 flats, and were being renovated at the time.Three men aged between 52 and 68 were, as reported, arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of manslaughter.Firefighters and rescue crews started searching the lower levels of some of the buildings on Thursday. Twenty-six rescue teams are on site.More than 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters as the rescue work continues.See the full rundown here:ShareUpdated at 02.12 CETKey eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureMore word here from residents of the Hong Kong neighbourhood where the fire broke out.“I truly think it’s very scary. I am watching it spread from just one building to three, then four,” Veezy Chan, 25, said on Wednesday. “It’s really terrifying.”Shirley Chan called the tragedy terribly sad. “Imagine a home – gone, burnt. Anyone would be heartbroken. I can relate to that; it’s truly heartbreaking. A home, gone in flames. I can’t even put it into words. Agence France-Presse also quoted a 65-year-old surnamed Yuen as saying his neighbourhood was home to many elderly residents who used wheelchairs and walkers, and the fire left him and his wife homeless.He said that since the apartment complex was undergoing maintenance, many residents kept their windows shut, so they did not hear the fire alarm.Residents also said they had never anticipated the flames would spread to other buildings with the wind and burn all night long.Chan said she “watched the fire burn and couldn’t do anything”.ShareUpdated at 02.10 CETHere are two of the latest images coming in as Hong Kong firefighters continue work to fully extinguish the devastating blaze.View image in fullscreen Photograph: Vernon Yuen/Nexpher/ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockView image in fullscreen Photograph: Tyrone Siu/ReutersShareUpdated at 01.51 CETIt’s approaching 8.45am in Hong Kong and firefighters are still dousing the blaze that has torn through the high-rise complex.After daybreak on Thursday some flats were still burning but the fire had noticeably dimmed during the early hours of the morning, Agence France-Presse is reporting.ShareUpdated at 02.06 CETHong Kong blaze: what we know so farAlmost 280 people are still missing amid the Hong Kong blaze that has killed at least 44 people and left dozens more in critical condition.Our just-launched rundown on what we know so far about the fire also details how it has not yet been fully extinguished but the flames in the four buildings are under control.The Wang Fuk Court complex is made up of eight 32-storey towers, containing about 2,000 flats, and were being renovated at the time.Three men aged between 52 and 68 were, as reported, arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of manslaughter.Firefighters and rescue crews started searching the lower levels of some of the buildings on Thursday. Twenty-six rescue teams are on site.More than 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters as the rescue work continues.See the full rundown here:ShareUpdated at 02.12 CETThe cause of the Hong Kong blaze is not yet known but the fire has been fanned by green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding – a mainstay of traditional Chinese architecture but subject to a phase-out in Hong Kong since March for safety reasons.Hong Kong is one of the last places in the world where bamboo is still widely used for scaffolding in construction.On mainland China, where use of bamboo in construction originated from ancient times, scaffolding is now mainly metal, Reuters reports.Hong Kong’s government moved to start phasing out bamboo scaffolding in March, citing worker safety after 22 deaths involving bamboo scaffolders between 2019 and 2024.It announced that 50% of public construction works would be required to use metal frames instead.View image in fullscreenFire and smoke engulfing bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at the Hong Kong housing estate on Wednesday. Photograph: Tyrone Siu/ReutersShareUpdated at 01.06 CET‘It’s heartbreaking’Word from residents of the housing complex has been coming through, including a 71-year-old resident surnamed Wong who said through tears that his wife was trapped inside.Harry Cheung, who has lived at block 2 in one of the complexes for more than 40 years, said he heard a loud noise about 2.45pm and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” the 66-year-old told Reuters. I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go back home. Dozens of stunned residents, many sobbing, have been watching the blaze as smoke billowed from the housing complex.“There’s nothing that can be done about the property. We can only hope that everyone, no matter old or young, can return safely,” a Tai Po resident who gave their surname as So told Agence France-Presse near the scene. It’s heartbreaking. We’re worried there are people trapped inside. View image in fullscreenResidents wrapped in blankets watch the blaze at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate. Photograph: Tyrone Siu/ReutersShareUpdated at 01.25 CETChina’s leader Xi Jinping has urged an “all-out effort” to extinguish the Hong Kong fire and to minimise casualties and losses, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has reported.He also extended condolences to victims’ families and others affected.ShareUpdated at 01.06 CETSection of the Tai Po Road closedAn entire section of the Tai Po Road – one of Hong Kong’s two main highways – has been closed due to the fire, and buses are being diverted.At least six schools will be closed on Thursday because of the fire and traffic congestion, Reuters quoted the city’s education bureau as saying.Wang Fuk Court is one of many high-rise housing complexes in Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated areas. Tai Po, located near the border with mainland China, is an established suburban district with about 300,000 residents.ShareUpdated at 00.41 CETHere’s the latest on the fire Forty-four people are confirmed dead after Hong Kong’s worst fire in decades, with dozens more currently in hospital. At least 279 people are still missing as firefighters and rescue crews begin searching some of the buildings. The fires have not been fully extinguished, although the flames in four buildings are under control. Three people were arrested early this morning local time on suspicion of manslaughter. Police did not provide any details about what the trio were accused of doing, although a police spokesperson told the New York Times they are two directors of a construction company and one consultant. Officials said they will look at materials used in the buildings exterior they say may have contributed to the blaze, as well as the bamboo scaffolding surrounding the towers, which were undergoing renovations. More than 900 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters as the rescue work continues. ShareUpdated at 01.09 CETEvacuees from the Wang Fuk Court residential estate rest in nearby shelters.View image in fullscreenEvacuees wrapped in blankets rest on a platform after a major fire at Wang Fuk Court housing estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong. Photograph: Tyrone Siu/ReutersView image in fullscreenResidents report their family members’ situations to the police and officials at a temporary shelter. Photograph: Tommy Wang/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenSupplies outside a restaurant acting as a temporary shelter. Photograph: Kobe Li/Nexpher/ZUMA Press Wire/ShutterstockView image in fullscreenEssential supplies are piled outside a temporary shelter near the Wang Fuk Court residential estate. Photograph: Tommy Wang/AFP/Getty ImagesShareUpdated at 23.43 CETFire under control at four buildings in Wang Fuk Court complexThe flames at four of the residential buildings in the Wang Fuk Court complex are now under control. The South China Morning Post reports search efforts have started in those buildings on lower levels, with rescue teams slowly moving up through the 13th to 23rd floors of some of those towers.They are expected to reach the top floors in the coming hours, with 26 rescue teams on site.The South China Morning Post also reports that police said they have not ruled out foam materials used to seal windows on the buildings and for other purposes contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.ShareUpdated at 23.42 CETPolice confirm three people arrested on suspicion of manslaughterHong Kong police confirmed three people between the ages of 52 and 68 have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.ShareUpdated at 23.40 CET

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