Hong Kong blaze leaves 94 dead, 280 missing
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A devastating fire in a residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Wednesday has resulted in the deaths of 94 people, while more than 280 residents continue to remain missing.
At least 76 others were injured, many of whom are in critical condition, raising fears that the death toll may increase further.
Officials say rescue operations are still underway and chances of survival for trapped residents are decreasing with every hour.
The Hong Kong government has initiated a criminal investigation into the incident. Police have confirmed the arrest of three people, including the main contractor, on charges of violating building safety regulations.
Authorities suspect that the use of non-approved, highly flammable materials during renovation directly contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
While initial reports blamed the bamboo scaffolding traditionally used in Hong Kong renovation projects, experts have clarified that bamboo was not the main cause behind the inferno.
Architect Raffaella Andreji from the Chinese University of Hong Kong stated:
"Bamboo retains natural moisture and burns slowly compared to plastic netting and other synthetic materials. In the Tai Po fire, the netting and other engineering materials seem to be primarily responsible."
Experts say that the combination of plastic netting, non–fire-retardant sheets, styrofoam, and synthetic construction material allowed flames to travel vertically and horizontally across the building façade.
