Three men have reportedly been arrested in connection with a fire in a Hong Kong residential tower block that killed at least 36 people, including a fireman and left at least 279 missing on Wednesday.
Hong Kong police said the men had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, CNN reported in this story.
Several dozen other people were hospitalised as a result of the blaze in residential blocks in Hong Kong's northern Tai Po district near the border with China, according to news reports quoting the city’s Chief Executive John Lee.
The fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po at 2:51 pm (Hong Kong time) on Wednesday (6:51 am GMT), the Hong Kong Government said in a statement.
The Kong Home Affairs Department, District Offices and Social Welfare Department set up help desks, arranged for residents to move to temporary shelters, and provided assistance and mental support to the families of the deceased and injured, it said.
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung expressed sympathy to the families of the victims, including fireman Ho Wai-ho and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“I am profoundly grieved at the passing of Mr Ho, who lost his life in the course of an operation. I offer my deepest condolences to his family members,” Tang said in a separate statement.
Although the cause of the blaze has not been officially established yet, it spread quickly through the bamboo lattices used as scaffolding for renovations over the last year, according to Reuters news reports.
Bamboo held together with nylon cords has been used for decades as scaffolding in Hong Kong because it is cheap, abundant and flexible, but has been almost phased out in recent years and has made way for metal scaffolding and clamps.
