The death toll in the Hong Kong fire has risen to 66 so far (Photo: AP).
Hong Kong Apartment Fire Today LIVE news updates: Fire authorities in Hong Kong are expected to wrap up search and rescue operations today after the city’s worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex killing at least 94 people and leaving dozens still missing. The eight-tower estate housing more than 4,600 people had been undergoing renovations and was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh when the fire started and quickly spread on Wednesday afternoon. As many as 279 people were listed as missing in the early hours of Thursday morning, but that figure has not been updated for more than 24 hours.
Also read: How did the Hong Kong fire, which killed 83, start? What we know so far
Story continues below this ad
It is Hong Kong’s deadliest fire since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze. Police arrested two directors and an engineering consultant of Prestige Construction, a firm that had been doing maintenance on the buildings for more than a year. On the second night after the blaze, dozens of evacuees set up mattresses in a nearby mall, many saying official evacuation centres should be saved for those in greater need.
Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, is scattered with high-rise housing complexes. Its sky-high property prices have long been a trigger for discontent and the tragedy could stoke resentment towards authorities despite efforts to tighten political and national security control. The leadership of both the Hong Kong government and China’s Communist Party moved quickly to show they attached utmost importance to a tragedy seen as a potential test of Beijing’s grip on the semi-autonomous region.
Stay updated with the latest – Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
