Toll rises to 83

Hong Kong police arrest construction firm bosses over fire

- REUTERS

Hong Kong police arrested the bosses of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter on Thursday over the city’s worst fire in nearly 80 years, which killed at least 83 people with about 300 still listed as missing.

Firefighters had mostly doused the blaze that tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northern district of Tai Po, which had been undergoing renovations and was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh.

Rescuers battled intense heat and thick smoke for more than a day as they fought to reach residents feared trapped on the upper floors. Video showed firefighters with flashlights searching through the charred remains of the towers Thursday night.

A distraught woman carrying her daughter’s graduation photograph searched for her child outside a shelter, one of eight that authorities said are housing 900 residents.