BBC reported on Thursday that residents are in shock and outraged following the apartment complex fire that broke out on Wednesday, which has claimed at least 44 lives so far.
Residents criticized authorities for their slow response to the massive blaze.
A woman in her 60s, living near the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, expressed her frustration, saying, “They have used helicopters to extinguish wildfires. How can they let the building burn down?” She also voiced her disappointment, noting that the flames spread rapidly although there was a fire station nearby.
She pointed out that the Hong Kong government failed to issue guidelines for affected residents to receive assistance.
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee promised support for the fire victims, but residents expressed their disillusionment, calling the government “incompetent.”
As of now, 279 people are confirmed missing due to the fire, with 40 of the injured reported to be in critical condition.
The apartment complex housed approximately 4,800 residents across 2,000 households.
While the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, it spread to seven out of eight buildings in the 31-story complex after igniting bamboo scaffolding and safety nets installed for renovations.
Authorities suspect that some residents, particularly the elderly, may not have evacuated in time as they were napping when the fire broke out during the day.
Citizens are using social media platforms such as WhatsApp to check on the safety of the apartment residents.
Hong Kong police have arrested three construction company officials on murder charges related to the fire.
