AT least 44 people have been killed and more than 279 people are reported missing after a horror blaze ripped through seven towers in Hong Kong.
Three people have now been arrested after the city’s deadliest fire tore through the housing estate late on Wednesday afternoon local time.
As dawn broke on Thursday, emergency services had brought the flames under control in four of the seven blocks with the search for survivors just beginning.
At least 45 people are in a serious condition after the blaze ravaged the buildings surrounded with bamboo scaffolding in the Tai Po neighbourhood.
Tragically, one of those to die was a 37-year-old firefighter responding to the inferno.
To make matters worse, strong winds fanned the flames through the seven 32-storey blocks in Wang Fuk Court – home to 4,000 people.
Search efforts have started on the lower levels and rescue crews are expected to reach the top floors by dusk.
A social media page created by residents has desperate appeals for help from those believed to still be trapped inside as the battle continues.
Police have arrested three men, aged between 52 and 68, for alleged manslaughter in connection with the fire that has raged for more than 15 hours.
“I am saddened by their deaths and I express deep condolences to the families of the deceased and those who were injured. We will provide all necessary assistance,” John Lee, the city’s chief executive, told reporters.
Authorities said that almost 900 firefighters and dozens of police officers and paramedics were deployed.
About 700 people were evacuated to temporary shelters.
Flames first took hold in the bamboo scaffolding surrounding three blocks at around 2pm local time (6am GMT), but spread to at least four more neighbouring buildings over the afternoon.
Hong Kong began phasing out bamboo scaffolding in March over safety concerns, but it was still cladding the eight towers of Wang Fuk inside green construction mesh.
Authorities said investigators would be examining factors such as whether the exterior wall materials of the high-rise buildings met fire resistance standards, as the rapid spread of the blaze was highly unusual.
In the building not affected by the fire, police noted that every floor had protective nets, film, and styrofoam used to seal windows.
All of which failed to meet fire safety standards.
The blaze, which started mid-afternoon, was upgraded to a level 5 alarm, the highest level of severity, as night fell.
Authorities said that conditions remained very challenging for firefighters.
Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Service operations, said: “Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings [is] falling down.
“The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.”
Police were monitoring reports of multiple people trapped inside the buildings and on the roofs.
Footage from the scene shows an intense fire with flames visibly licking from the towers through the afternoon and into the night.
Burning sections of green scaffolding mesh and other flaming debris could be seen falling to the ground.
A large number of fire engines are parked around the buildings, with enormous water jets mounted to long extensions aimed into the towers.
Residents claimed that fire alarms in the blocks failed to go off, meaning some missed out on valuable minutes when they could have escaped.
A man surnamed Fung said he has no idea where his 80-year-old mother-in-law is, and that she was in poor health having just recovered from pneumonia.
He said: “I don’t know whether she is still trapped inside, or which hospital she was sent to.”
Harry Cheung, 66, who has lived at Block Two of the complex for more than 40 years, said he heard “a very loud noise at around 2:45pm” (6:45pm GMT) and saw a fire erupt in a nearby block.
He said: “I immediately went back to pack up my things.
“I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go back home.”
A 71-year-old man wearing a yellow t-shirt, in visible distress in photos from the scene, said his wife was trapped in one of the towers.
The man, surname Wong, broke down in tears and could do nothing but watch and pray.
Chan Kwong-tak, an 83-year-old retiree living in the community, said: “If someone was sleeping then, they were done.”
The last time a No. 5 fire was declared in Hong Kong was 2008, when four people died and 55 were injured in a blaze which started in a karaoke bar.
In 1996, 41 people were killed in a commercial building in Kowloon in a No. 5 fire that lasted for around 20 hours.
Authorities closed sections of a nearby highway as crews fought the blaze.
The fire department said: “Residents nearby are advised to stay indoors, close their doors and windows, and stay calm.
“Members of the public are also advised to avoid going to the area affected by the fire.”
Residents of the burning towers have been shepherded into nearby shelters, which are filling up with a stream of people including children and the elderly.
Two blocks of another nearby estate have been evacuated by police.
Hong Kong has been under a red fire warning since Monday, indicating an extremely high risk of a fire breaking out.
These categorisations are based on conditions such as humidity, wind speed and dry vegetation.
Wang Fuk Court, which opened in 1983, is home to around 4,000 residents, who live in around 2,000 apartments across eight blocks.
It had recently undergone major renovations.
Tai Po is a suburban area in the northern part of Hong Kong in the New Territories and near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.
John Lee said the government will continue to prioritise the disaster but may halt public efforts for the December 7 elections.
He didn’t say if the elections could be delayed.
