Reuters : Firefighters in Hong Kong worked for a second day to put out a large blaze at a residential complex that has killed at least 94 people in the Chinese territory’s deadliest and most destructive fire in 60 years.
Officials said on Friday that flames in four buildings in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, located in the Tai Po neighbourhood, had been almost entirely extinguished, but witnesses reported occasional sparks and thick smoke billowing from the site.
Rescuers are still searching for people feared trapped on the upper floors of the complex. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said contact had been lost with 279 people early on Thursday.
Resident Lawrence Lee said he still had not heard from his wife, who he believes is trapped in their apartment.
“When the fire started, I told her on the phone to escape. But once she left the flat, the corridor and stairs were all filled with smoke, and it was all dark, so she had no choice but to go back to the flat,” he said.
Yayuk, a 40-year-old Indonesian woman, told the AFP news agency that she could not find her elder sister, Sri-Wahyuni, who worked and lived in a household in the estate.
“I couldn’t sleep the whole night. This morning, I went to the consulate to ask if she was checked into the hospital,” she said.
The death toll from the disaster stood at 94 as of 6am local time on Friday (22:00 GMT, Thursday) and included one firefighter, according to the Hong Kong Fire Services Department. More than 70 people have been injured, according to the Hospital Authority, many suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
