"Hong Kong's worst fire in memory was still smoldering in several apartment towers Thursday as firefighters struggled to find dozens of people who remained unaccounted for. At least 94 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 900 of the 4,800 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters overnight."
"Seven of the eight 32-story towers in the building complex were engulfed in flames after construction materials and bamboo scaffolding caught fire. Officials said that extreme heat was hampering rescue efforts. The fire was deadlier than one in November 1996, when 41 people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a blaze that lasted for around 20 hours. A warehouse fire in 1948 killed 176 people, according to the South China Morning Post newspaper."
"Officials are investigating 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, authorities 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 confirmed was in charge of the renovations. Phone calls to the company's offices went unanswered. Officials said they suspect that some 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."
A massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in Taipo killed at least 94 people, injured dozens, and left dozens unaccounted. Seven of the eight 32-story towers were engulfed after construction materials and bamboo scaffolding being used for exterior renovations caught fire. About 900 of the complex's roughly 4,800 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters. Authorities arrested three people, including two directors and an engineering consultant, on suspicion of manslaughter and searched the offices of Prestige Construction & Engineering Co. Officials suspect non–fire-resistant materials such as plastic foam panels and protective netting contributed to rapid spread, with high winds and extreme heat hampering rescue efforts. The death toll exceeds previous major Hong Kong fires.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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