This was announced at a press conference on Thursday morning, November 27, local time (evening of November 26, Moscow time), by the head of the administration of the special administrative region of China, John Li.

A fire in the Tai Po district in the north of the city on Wednesday spread rapidly through bamboo scaffolding and spread to several high-rise buildings. According to the fire department, at least five of the eight buildings of the Wang Fuk Court residential complex were on fire. Among the dead was a firefighter who temporarily lost contact with colleagues during the firefighting, and was later found with burns.

The authorities have assigned the highest - fifth - danger level to this fire. The last time such a category was assigned to a fire in Hong Kong was in 2008.

According to the deputy head of the fire department, the fire spread extremely quickly due to the wind and flying debris. The official cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Earlier, local residents complained about workers who smoked while working, the South China Morning Post reported.

It is also reported about the detention of three men who are suspected of manslaughter in connection with the fire.

Strengthening fire safety measures in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has some of the tallest and most densely populated residential buildings in the world. Previously, deadly fires in the city were a frequent occurrence, especially in poor areas, but over the past decades, security measures have significantly increased, and today large fires in residential areas of Hong Kong occur much less frequently. dw.com.