At least 44 people have been killed in a major fire engulfing public housing apartments in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district – more than 270 people are still not accounted for, thevBBC reports.
Three construction company executives have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to flammable materials, including mesh and plastic sheets, that may have allowed the fire to spread quickly.
After 18 hours, officials said the fire was under control – it has been classified a level five blaze, the most serious level in Hong Kong.
Nearly 40% of the 4,600 people who lived in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex are at least 65, or older, according to a 2021 census.
Some of them have lived in the subsidised public housing estate since it was built in the 1980s.
