Doha: Authorities in Hong Kong announced that the death toll from the residential complex fire has risen to 83, with 250 people still missing. A Hong Kong government official stated in a press conference Thursday that rescue workers treated 76 injured people, including 11 firefighters.
According to Qatar News Agency, Hong Kong's emergency services announced that the fire has been extinguished after engulfing four of the eight residential buildings in the complex. They noted that fires in three other buildings have been brought under control, while one building in the complex remains untouched by the flames.
Deputy Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force Eric Chan said at a press conference that the police are investigating how the massive fire spread among the residential skyscrapers in this densely populated area. He noted that one of the dead was a firefighter.
Police announced the arrest of three people after flammable materials were found during extensive maintenance and renovation work at the Wang Fook residential complex in the Tai Po district of northern Hong Kong, which led to the rapid spread of the fire.