Hong Kong police say the death toll from a fire in a residential complex has reached 55, with nearly 300 people still missing.
The blaze, which began yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, November 26), was likely caused by “gross negligence.”
Rescue teams are trying to reach people who may be trapped on the upper floors of the “Wang Fok Court” complex. The fire is still burning, and according to local authorities, only four of the complex’s seven blocks have been brought under control.
Police have searched the office of the company responsible for maintaining the complex and seized relevant documents. A Hong Kong security official said: “We have reason to believe the company’s staff were extremely negligent. This caused the incident, allowed the fire to spread uncontrollably, and resulted in heavy casualties.”
Three men from the maintenance company — two managers and a consultant — have been arrested on suspicion of “manslaughter.”
The number of victims in this incident has now surpassed that of a major Hong Kong fire in 1948, which killed 176 people.
