"Police said in addition to the buildings being covered with protective mesh sheets and plastic that may not meet fire standards, they discovered some windows on one unaffected building were sealed with a foam material, installed by a construction company carrying out year-long maintenance work. "We have reason to believe that the company's responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties," said Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent."
"Three men from the construction company, two directors and one engineering consultant, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the fire, she added. Police officers searched the housing estate's building maintenance company on Thursday morning, seizing documents that mention of Wang Fuk Court, local media reported. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment."
"The tightly packed complex in the northern Tai Po district has 2,000 apartments in eight blocks that are home to more than 4,600 people in a city struggling with chronic shortages of affordable housing. By Thursday morning, authorities said they had brought the fire in four of seven blocks under control, with operations continuing in three blocks. Video from the scene some 22 hours after the blaze started showed flames still leaping from at least two of the 32-storey towers sheathed in green construction mesh and bamboo scaffolding."
A large fire erupted Wednesday afternoon at Wang Fuk Court, a tightly packed Tai Po housing complex of eight blocks and about 2,000 apartments housing over 4,600 people. Intense heat and thick smoke hindered firefighters from reaching potentially trapped residents on upper floors. Buildings were covered in protective mesh sheets and plastic; investigators found some windows sealed with foam installed during year-long maintenance. Police say the foam and mesh may not meet fire standards and believe gross negligence by company parties caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties. Three construction company officials were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Firefighting operations brought four of seven blocks under control while flames continued in others about 22 hours later.
Read at Irish Independent
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