Charisse Pham

This is one of the deadliest fires in Hong Kong's history.

It took more than 40 hours to extinguish.

Government officials said temperatures on some floors were still too hot for rescuers to enter.

warning that the death toll could climb even higher.

The apartment complex had been under renovation, and police said construction material at the site was not up to standard.

The fire alarms were also not working properly when the fire broke out, according to Hong Kong's director of fire services.

Officials have launched a corruption probe into the renovation project, leading to the arrest of eight people on Friday.

That's on top of three people from a construction company arrested on Thursday.

For NPR News, I'm Charisse Pham in Hong Kong.

Firefighters are now going floor to floor to search for any residents that may still be trapped inside.

The fire burned through seven high-rises.

It's now under control, but some units were still burning more than 40 hours after the fire first broke out.

The complex had been under renovation and was covered in bamboo scaffolding and netting.

The netting and some other construction material were not up to standard, according to police.

As they caught fire, some scaffolding collapsed and turned into falling debris, blocking emergency vehicles in the early hours of the fire, an official from the fire department said.

Police have arrested three people from the contract company in charge of the renovations on suspicion of manslaughter.

For NPR News, I'm Charisse Pham in Hong Kong.

It's the deadliest fire Hong Kong has seen in decades.

The Five Alarm Fire, Hong Kong's highest level, burned for several hours.

The public housing complex where the fire broke out is home to about 4,600 people.