Hong Kong fire: Death toll rises to 40, hundreds missing

Hong Kong fire: Death toll rises to 40, hundreds missing

The death toll from a fire that broke out in a high-rise apartment building in the northern Hong Kong district of Tai Po on November 26 has risen to more than 40. At least 44 people have died and more than 270 are missing, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee said.
The fire quickly spread to the bamboo-clad building and then to other high-rise buildings. The government has given the fire the highest level of danger, level five.

The official cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but local residents say it may have been caused by workers carrying out renovations in the building. Three men, aged between 52 and 68, have been arrested. They are believed to be employees of a construction company that was carrying out the renovations, two of whom are managers and one is a consulting engineer.

A police investigation also found that the materials used on the exterior of the buildings were not fireproof. Law enforcement agencies accused the company's management of negligence, which led to the uncontrolled spread of the fire and many casualties. Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and the injured.