Governor Lee: ‘Every resource for relief is under control’
The deadly Level 5 fire that devastated the residential towers of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po in Hong Kong is still partially active, 20 hours after it was first reported to police. The governor of the former British colony, John Lee, said in the early hours of the morning that the flames had been brought under control “thanks to the tireless efforts of the firefighters”.
The dramatic toll, still provisional, speaks of at least 44 dead, 279 missing and many dozens injured, including 45 in serious condition, following one of the worst accidents to ever hit Hong Kong, fueled against all odds by the green wire mesh and bamboo scaffolding surrounding every building in the residential complex, as part of the renovation works.
Lee, briefing the media, said that from the outside, three buildings no longer showed visible flames, while in four others “sporadic spots of fire” were detected, assuring that the city government will mobilize “all resources to fully support the rescue operations”. The direction given to units and departments is “to carry out a comprehensive job”, including fully extinguishing the fire, rescuing trapped residents, treating the injured, providing care and emotional support to the families, and conducting a full investigation into the incident, Lee continued, in the local media report.
Eileen Chung, superintendent of the Hong Kong police, said three men from the construction company responsible for renovating the apartment blocks had been arrested on manslaughter charges in connection with the fire. Rescue operations are still underway at Wang Fuk Court, made up of eight residential towers, of which seven were attacked by flames.
