Hong Kong votes in election as city mourns deadly fire

Authorities face growing criticism for detaining at least two civilians who have called for accountability Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to last week’s devastating fire , as they face growing criticism from residents over the arrests under national security laws of at least two civilians calling for accountability. Emergency services continued to search through the seven towers of the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po on Monday, days after the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years . The death toll rose to 151 and is expected to rise further as the search continues. About 40 people are still missing. Continue reading...

Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding accountability Anger over a deadly blaze at a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex simmered on Sunday as Beijing warned against attempts to use the disaster to disrupt the city, while people across the financial hub continued to mourn for the more than 128 victims . Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding government accountability, an independent probe into possible corruption, proper resettlement for residents, and a review of construction oversight, two sources familiar with the matter said. Continue reading...

Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding accountability Anger over a deadly blaze at a Hong Kong high-rise apartment complex simmered on Sunday as Beijing warned against attempts to use the disaster to disrupt the city, while people across the financial hub continued to mourn for the more than 128 victims . Police on Saturday detained one person who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding government accountability, an independent probe into possible corruption, proper resettlement for residents, and a review of construction oversight, two sources familiar with the matter said. Continue reading...

The Legislative Council election is seen as a test of public sentiment following a deadly fire.

Families mourning their loved ones are demanding answers as authorities investigate the cause of a fire in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee says committee to be led by a judge and will identify the causes of deadly blaze.

Police say substandard fire-resistant netting was responsible for spreading the fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court.

Authorities say they have completed searches of four of the seven towers as part of a criminal investigation.

More than 100 people remain unaccounted for after seven high-rise buildings caught fire and burned for two days.

At least 128 people died and 150 remain missing after the towers housing 4,600 people were engulfed by flames.

Footage geolocated by BBC Verify show the blaze taking hold in Wang Cheong House.

More than 800 firefighters were still tackling the blaze at Wang Fuk Court this morning.

More than 800 firefighters were still tackling the blaze at Wang Fuk Court this morning.

At least 36 people were killed and hundreds are missing after a fire engulfed several high-rise residential towers in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district Wednesday. John Lee, Hong Kong’s chief executive, said at a press conference that 279 people are missing, and 29 people have been hospitalized, including seven in critical condition. "Police and the Fire Services Department have already set up a dedicated investigation team to investigate the cause of the fire," Lee told reporters. Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department said it received reports of a blaze breaking out at the Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a district in the northern New Territories, around 2:50 p.m. EXPLOSION ROCKS SENIOR LIVING APARTMENT BUILDING IN OHIO, MULTIPLE PEOPLE INJURED The fire was upgraded to a No. 5 alarm, the most severe rating in Hong Kong, by 6:22 p.m. In a government statement, the department said nine people were taken to the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital and the Prince of Wales Hospital. Tang Ping-keung, the secretary for security of Hong Kong, said one fireman died after sustaining injuries while battling the blaze. "I am profoundly grieved at the passing of Mr Ho, who lost his life in the course of an operation. I offer my deepest condolences to his family members," Tang said. Photos from the scene showed the bamboo scaffolding of the towers engulfed in flames and thick, dark smoke pouring out of multiple floors. Firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze, and one man was photographed in visible distress, saying his wife was trapped inside. LA FIREFIGHTERS ORDERED TO LEAVE FIRE THAT EXPLODED INTO PALISADES FIRE DAYS LATER: REPORT Chan Kwong-tak, an 83-year-old retiree living in the community, told The South China Morning Post that the fire alarms failed to go off when the blaze broke out, even though the buildings were equipped with them. "If someone was sleeping then, they were done," he said. Tai Po’s former district councillor, Herman Yiu Kwan-ho, also told the outlet that residents reported not hearing the fire alarms go off even after they detected the smell of smoke . He said they were only warned when a security guard knocked on their doors, giving them little time to get out. The Tai Po District Office opened temporary shelters for people in need at the Kwong Fuk Community Hall and the Tung Cheong Street Community Hall.