11 Arrested in Hong Kong Over High-Rise Residential Fire

In Hong Kong, 11 people have been arrested in connection with a major fire at a residential complex, according to Qrnews.kz citing 24KZ.

Investigators are considering negligence as a possible cause and have not ruled out potential corruption risks during renovation work. At this stage, the investigation has revealed that the fire alarm system in the complex was seriously malfunctioning.

Earlier, an engineer-consultant, a subcontractor responsible for installing bamboo scaffolding, and several construction intermediaries were also arrested.

The fire broke out in a high-rise residential complex in the northern district, which houses nearly 2,000 apartments. The blaze started on the fourth floor of a 31-story building. Strong winds caused the flames to spread quickly along the façade, engulfing eight neighboring high-rises.

The fire was classified as a level five, the highest danger category. It raged for more than 40 hours. As a result, 146 people were killed, and over 200 are reported missing.