The death toll from a fire in Hong Kong has risen to 44, with 45 others in serious condition, the city's fire department said.
Hong Kong police have arrested three people in connection with a fire at a residential complex in the Tai Po district. They are two executives of the company that renovated the buildings and a consulting engineer. A police spokesman told a news conference that the buildings had been fitted with protective nets, foil and polystyrene foam to seal the windows, but they did not meet fire regulations.
The fire broke out at the Wan Fook Court high-rise complex in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories. The flames engulfed bamboo scaffolding erected on the buildings for cosmetic repairs. The complex contains nearly 2,000 apartments and is home to approximately 4,000 residents.
The fire has been given the highest level of danger - 5. The last time a level 5 fire was recorded in Hong Kong was in 2008, when a nightclub fire killed four people and injured 55.