At least 94 people have lost their lives in a devastating fire that ripped through a Hong Kong high-rise complex, leaving hundreds of others missing. The blaze, which broke out on Wednesday afternoon, spread rapidly across seven of the complex's eight buildings, with four towers still smoldering as firefighters battled to bring the inferno under control.
The full extent of the tragedy is only now coming into view, with officials confirming that at least 70 people were injured, including 11 brave firefighters who lost their lives in the disaster. Many of those hurt suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation.
Rescue teams were desperately searching for survivors as flames still raged through some buildings, while others remained eerily silent. Video footage showed rescuers using flashlights to search apartments and evacuate residents from the complex.
Police have arrested three men from a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the blaze, which is believed to have started on the external scaffolding of one of the buildings. The suspects are the directors and an engineering consultant of the firm, who allegedly ignored safety protocols.
The fire has raised serious questions about the safety standards of Hong Kong's high-rise developments, with officials suggesting that some materials used in the construction of the complex may not have met fire resistance requirements.
As the investigation into the cause of the blaze continues, relatives of those missing are anxiously waiting for news. The tragedy is the deadliest in Hong Kong in years, surpassing a 1996 commercial building fire that claimed 41 lives.
The government has issued a statement condemning the disaster and expressing sympathy to the families of the victims. Chinese leader Xi Jinping also extended condolences to the firefighter who died in the blaze and offered support to those affected.
The complex, which was home to nearly 5,000 people, is still largely a blackened ruin as firefighters struggle to extinguish the flames. The full impact of this tragedy will only become clear in time, but one thing is certain: it has left an indelible mark on the city's residents and authorities alike.
The full extent of the tragedy is only now coming into view, with officials confirming that at least 70 people were injured, including 11 brave firefighters who lost their lives in the disaster. Many of those hurt suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation.
Rescue teams were desperately searching for survivors as flames still raged through some buildings, while others remained eerily silent. Video footage showed rescuers using flashlights to search apartments and evacuate residents from the complex.
Police have arrested three men from a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the blaze, which is believed to have started on the external scaffolding of one of the buildings. The suspects are the directors and an engineering consultant of the firm, who allegedly ignored safety protocols.
The fire has raised serious questions about the safety standards of Hong Kong's high-rise developments, with officials suggesting that some materials used in the construction of the complex may not have met fire resistance requirements.
As the investigation into the cause of the blaze continues, relatives of those missing are anxiously waiting for news. The tragedy is the deadliest in Hong Kong in years, surpassing a 1996 commercial building fire that claimed 41 lives.
The government has issued a statement condemning the disaster and expressing sympathy to the families of the victims. Chinese leader Xi Jinping also extended condolences to the firefighter who died in the blaze and offered support to those affected.
The complex, which was home to nearly 5,000 people, is still largely a blackened ruin as firefighters struggle to extinguish the flames. The full impact of this tragedy will only become clear in time, but one thing is certain: it has left an indelible mark on the city's residents and authorities alike.
. We're talking about 94 lives lost and hundreds missing – it's like our cities are just ticking time bombs waiting for something to go wrong! The fact that the blaze started on external scaffolding, where safety protocols were clearly ignored, raises so many questions... who's accountable here? Is this another case of greed and profit over people's lives? 
how many times do we need to see these disasters before they crack down on reckless contractors? 11 brave firefighters lost their lives, that's just insane 
and what really gets me is that it was allegedly due to ignoring safety protocols... like, come on guys! you get the job, do your job properly 
my thoughts are with all those affected by this fire, especially their families who are still waiting to hear from loved ones missing in action. It's just so devastating that such a tragedy can happen in one of Hong Kong's high-rise complexes, you know? The fact that four towers are still smoldering is just terrifying 
and I'm sure it's going to take a long time for the city to fully recover from this.
. It's just not right that people lost their lives because of something so avoidable. My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by this tragedy, may they find strength and support during this tough time 
the gov statement was nice but not sure if it goes far enough for all the questions being raised about this tragedy 
. 94 lives lost? It's just crazy... all those people were living their lives, going about their daily routines, and then BAM! The fire just takes over. 
. And those 4 towers still smoldering? It's like a war zone out there 
. Can't believe the construction company is under suspicion for manslaughter 
... it just makes me wonder what kind of shortcuts were taken to cut costs 
. We need to get to the bottom of this and make sure something like this never happens again 
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. The government needs to do a thorough investigation and make sure something like this never happens again 
. It's a tragedy that will stay with Hong Kong for a long time... 
they need to get to the bottom of what happened here, like, how did it start on the scaffolding? shouldn't they have been following safety protocols?! 
It raises so many questions about the construction of high-rise buildings in Hong Kong... are they even doing enough to prevent this kind of thing? 
fire resistance requirements r also being questioned, which is super sus... relieves me to know chinese leader xi jinxpin extended condolences 2 the firefighter who died but still hope more ppl r found alive 
. My thoughts are with all those affected by this devastating fire 
. I mean, who does that? Not taking the necessary precautions to ensure everyone's safety? It's just not acceptable.
. We need to make sure that these companies are held accountable for their negligence and that stricter measures are put in place to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again.
.