Hong Kong housing complex still burning after 18 hours, death toll rises to 44

A fire in a housing complex in Hong Kong-China is still burning after a long 16 hours. Only four out of eight buildings have been brought under control. The death toll has risen to 44. At least 279 people are still missing. This is the worst fire in the country’s eight-decade history. More than 700 fire service personnel have been deployed, but it has not been possible to put out the fire. Three people have been arrested so far for negligence of duty. However, the cause of the fire is not yet known.
Earlier, the fire service received a report of the fire at around 3 pm local time. Efforts have been underway to put out the fire since then. One firefighter has died so far trying to put out the terrible fire. The northern housing complex in Hong Kong-China has about 2,000 apartments in a total of 8 blocks. Most of them are elderly. According to the country’s latest census, the eight-block housing complex is home to at least 4,600 people. However, it is not certain how many people were there as renovation work is currently underway. The fire has been classified as a level five category, the highest on the intensity scale. Several of the injured, who are being treated in hospital, are in critical condition. Fire services are trying to rescue the missing. Bamboo scaffolding was erected around the building for construction workers to work on. This caused the fire to spread quickly and become a monstrous one. Meanwhile, residents of nearby buildings have been safely evacuated. Temporary shelters and help desks have been opened. On the other hand, world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, have expressed their condolences over the fire.