Cherise Pham
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The high-rise apartment towers had been under renovation and covered in bamboo scaffolding.
Three people who work for the construction company responsible for the renovations have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
Hong Kong police said that construction material found around the buildings did not meet safety standards, were highly flammable, and may have been the reason the fire spread so quickly.
For NPR News, I'm Cherise Pham in Hong Kong.
This is one of the deadliest fires in Hong Kong's history.
It broke out at a public housing complex that's home to about 4,600 people.
More than 24 hours later, the fire was under control, but firefighters were still battling fires in several buildings and residents are still trapped.
The Hong Kong Fire Services said an elderly man had been rescued from the 31st floor of one of the buildings.
The high-rise apartment towers had been under renovation and covered in bamboo scaffolding.
Three people who work for the construction company responsible for the renovations have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
Hong Kong police said that construction material found around the buildings did not meet safety standards, were highly flammable, and may have been the reason the fire spread so quickly.
For NPR News, I'm Cherise Pham in Hong Kong.