According to local authorities, contact was lost with 279 people who were in the building, and their fate remains unknown. More than 70 people were injured, including 11 firefighters. About 900 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters.
The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon and quickly spread across seven of the eight towers in the complex. Deputy Fire Service Director Derek Armstrong Chan emphasized that the fire spread "exceptionally fast." Access issues for specialized equipment to the buildings arose due to debris.
In connection with the incident, the police detained three employees of the construction company, including two directors and a consulting engineer, on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter. The investigation suggests that the rapid spread of the flames may have been caused by non-compliant fire-resistant materials, specifically flammable foam panels that were found on the facades of the buildings.
The residential complex consists of eight buildings with nearly 2,000 apartments, housing about 4,800 people. Recently, major renovations were being carried out in these buildings.
