36 dead, 279 missing in Hong Kong apartment fire

A major fire broke out at an apartment complex in Hong Kong on the 26th (local time), leaving 36 people dead and 279 missing.
According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP), Tai Po in northern Hong Kong
A fire broke out at 2:51 pm the previous day at the Wong Fook Court high-rise apartment complex in Tai Po, killing 36 people, including firefighters, and leaving 279 people missing.
More than 140 fire engines and 800 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire. Rescued people were transported to nine local hospitals, but the number of people transported was increasing.
There have been a number of cases where people have been confirmed dead after being transported to hospital. Of those who were taken to hospital, seven are in critical condition and 13 are seriously injured. Many people could not be located, and many were unable to evacuate from high-rise buildings.
The Hong Kong authorities raised the alert level to the highest level 5 at 6:22 pm. Level 5 alert is the highest level for the 2019 earthquake, which saw four deaths and 55 injuries.
The incident is the first since the Mong Kok nightclub fire in 2008. Hong Kong police have arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter. The cause of the fire has not yet been announced.
At the time of the fire, the apartment building had reportedly been undergoing extensive repair work for over a year. Bamboo scaffolding, construction safety nets, and foam screens had been installed on the exterior walls.
The fire is believed to have spread to the tyrofoam, causing the fire to expand. In Hong Kong, building construction often involves constructing scaffolding using bamboo instead of steel frames. In March of this year, the Hong Kong Development Board announced a safety warning.
As a precaution, they have indicated that they will gradually reduce the use of bamboo scaffolding and replace it with metal scaffolding. Witnesses said, "There was a loud bang, sparks flew, the bamboo scaffolding caught fire, and the 10th to 20th floors were hit.
"It was raining down from a height," he testified. The fire spread to seven of the eight apartment buildings, and the flames in four buildings were not contained until the early hours of the 27th. This apartment was completed in 1983.
The area is home to over 4,600 people, one-third of whom are over 65 years old. Hong Kong has suspended all campaigning for the Legislative Council elections on the 7th of next month and plans to focus all efforts on putting an end to the fire.
The fire is expected to remain the worst disaster in Hong Kong since the 1996 Carly Building fire, which killed 41 people, shortly before the handover of Hong Kong to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "We will put out the fire and minimize casualties."
"We must do everything in our power to keep the situation to a minimum," he said.