Hong Kong makes 14 arrests in deadly building fire that claimed 151 lives

On Monday (Dec 1), Hong Kong made 14 arrests in connection with the worst blaze in decades which claimed at least 151 lives. Authorities noted that the probe highlighted the "substandard" netting on building exteriors failed to stop the fire from spreading. It is the world’s deadliest residential complex fire since 1980. The investigation found that seven of 20 the netting samples from the site failed to meet fire safety standards, as reported by news agency AFP.

On November 26, Hong Kong witnessed a deadly fire where a crowded high-rise complex was engulfed in flames. The death toll has mounted to 151, and more than 40 people are missing. The fire first sparked in the afternoon and is still burning even in the early hours of Thursday.

As the fire broke out, Chinese President Xi Jinping had urged Hong Kong to "make every effort" to extinguish a huge blaze at a residential estate that killed and to minimise casualties and losses, as reported by state media. "Xi Jinping expressed condolences for those who died in the major fire at a residential estate in Tai Po District, New Territories, Hong Kong, including the firefighter who died in the line of duty," state broadcaster CCTV reported.

“He offered sympathies to the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, and called for making every effort to extinguish the fire and minimise casualties and losses,” he added.

As reported by news agency AFP, huge flames first took hold on bamboo scaffolding on several apartment blocks of Wang Fuk Court, which contains nearly 2,000 flats in eight towers in the northern district of Tai Po and was reportedly undergoing estate-wide maintenance.