The death toll from the fire at a 31-story tower in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district has climbed to 83, authorities said. Seventy-nine victims died at the scene and four later in hospital.
Police have arrested three members of Prestige Construction — two managers and an engineering consultant — on charges of “murder,” accusing them of using unsafe materials during renovation work. Bamboo scaffolding on the building’s exterior caused the blaze to spread rapidly.
At least 76 people were injured, and around 300 residents remain missing. The Wang Fuk Court complex houses about 4,000 people across eight high-rise buildings.