Hong Kong police arrested executives of Prestige Construction after the deadliest fire in nearly 80 years, which claimed the lives of 83 people. The fire engulfed the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, which was undergoing renovation and was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding.
Hong Kong police have arrested the executives of a construction company after the city's deadliest fire in nearly 80 years, which killed at least 83 people and left dozens missing. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
By Friday morning, firefighters had largely contained the blaze, which raged for over 24 hours and engulfed the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in the northern district of Tai Po. The complex was undergoing renovation and was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green netting.
Photo: Radio Free Europe
We expect the fire to be fully extinguished tonight. We will continue to douse the fire with water to lower the temperature.
– said Deputy Director of Fire Services Derek Armstrong Chan
Most of the victims were found in two high-rise buildings of the complex's eight towers. Firefighters were able to rescue several residents. The South China Morning Post reported one survivor found on the stairs of one of the buildings.
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Rescuers battled heat, thick smoke, collapsing scaffolding, and debris as they tried to reach residents on the upper floors.
Police arrested two directors and a consulting engineer of Prestige Construction, the company contracted for building maintenance. They are suspected of involuntary manslaughter due to the use of dangerous materials.
Photo: Reuters
We have reason to believe that the responsible parties of the company showed gross negligence, which led to this accident and caused the uncontrolled spread of the fire, resulting in numerous casualties.
– Police Chief Eileen Cheung stated
During a raid on the company's office, police seized tender documents, an employee list, 14 computers, and three mobile phones.
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