The death toll from the fire at the residential high-rise complex in Hong Kong has risen to 94, authorities in Hong Kong reported on Friday, according to LETA citing AFP.
The fire that started on Wednesday and engulfed seven high-rise buildings in the Tai Po area is nearly extinguished. On Friday morning, only four of the nearly 2000 apartments in the complex continued to burn.
At least 76 people have been injured as a result of the fire, including 11 firefighters.
Many people are still considered missing, but the exact number is unknown. On Thursday morning, there were reports of 279 missing, but there is no new information about them yet.
On Friday, firefighters continued to douse the building with water to cool it down and prevent the re-ignition of smoldering structures.
This fire has become the most devastating in Hong Kong in the last 80 years. The fire engulfed seven of the eight high-rise buildings in the Tai Po area, located in the northern part of Hong Kong in the New Territories, near the border with mainland China and the city of Shenzhen.
The complex has a total of 2000 apartments. Each building has 32 floors.
Local media reported that all buildings were undergoing renovation and were covered with bamboo scaffolding.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Authorities have launched an investigation and plan to check compliance with safety standards regarding the use of bamboo scaffolding and green plastic nets that covered the buildings.
The Hong Kong anti-corruption bureau reported that it has begun an investigation related to the renovation work in the complex. According to the South China Morning Post, three men have been arrested in connection with the fire on suspicion of manslaughter.
Among the 94 confirmed dead are a 37-year-old firefighter and two Indonesian citizens who worked as domestic helpers. The condition of 12 survivors is reported as critical, while another 28 are in serious condition, according to hospitals.
This is the deadliest fire in Hong Kong since 1948, when an explosion and the subsequent fire claimed the lives of 135 people.
