At least 36 dead, hundreds missing and three arrested as fire engulfs Hong Kong housing complex. Here’s what we know

By Catherine Nicholls, Chris Lau and Jadyn Beverley Sham, CNN

Hong Kong (CNN) — An enormous fire engulfed several tower blocks in Hong Kong on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and leaving nearly 300 missing, officials said, with some residents still trapped inside burning buildings.

Firefighters battled the flames for hours, struggling to reach those stuck on the higher floors of buildings in Wang Fuk Court, in the Tai Po neighborhood. The complex is home to more than 4,000 people, a large number of whom are aged 65 are older, according to Hong Kong’s most recent census.

Here’s what we know about the fire so far:

How did the blaze start?

Firefighters first received a call about the fire shortly before 3 p.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), an official from the Hong Kong Fire Department told journalists earlier Wednesday.

The blaze started at Wang Cheong House, a 32-story residential building that was undergoing renovations and clad in bamboo scaffolding, Derek Armstrong Chan, the fire department’s deputy director of operations, said.

By the time fire crews were on the scene, the scaffolding was on fire, spreading through the building and across to other tower blocks. Minutes later, the burning bamboo scaffolding began to fall to the ground, Chan said.

At least seven of the eight tower blocks within the housing complex were affected by the blaze, forcing those who were able to escape the flames into temporary accommodation.

By the early hours of Thursday morning local time, fires were extinguished in three buildings, with four still showing “scattered traces of fire,” according to Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee.

How are authorities responding?

Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to tackle the blaze, with 128 firetrucks and 57 ambulances sent to the scene, according to Chan. Hong Kong’s director of fire services said at one point that 888 first responders were on the scene.

Early Thursday morning local time, a police spokesperson said Hong Kong Police arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to the fire.

Temperatures are scorching hot inside Wang Fuk Court as the fire rages on, preventing firefighters from reaching the upper floors of some buildings, where residents are still trapped.

Addressing those stuck inside the burning buildings, Chan urged residents to close their doors and windows, and seal them with tape and wet napkins.

Firefighters know where people are trapped, he said. “However, due to extreme heat inside the specific buildings, we are currently unable to reach upward to those trapped inside,” Chan continued, adding: “We will keep going and keep trying.”

What do we know about the victims?

At least 36 people have been killed by the blaze so far, including a 37-year-old firefighter who sustained injuries while trying to tackle the flames, Hong Kong officials said.

At least another two firefighters were injured battling the flames, an official from the Fire Services Department’s Ambulance Command told the media.

One injured his left leg, while the other suffered “extreme exhaustion,” Wing Yin Chou, an assistant chief ambulance officer for the New Territories East division, said.

In addition to the more than 30 people injured by the fire, a total of 279 people were missing as of 1:30 a.m. local time Thursday (12:30 p.m. ET), Lee told the media.

Is this common in Hong Kong?

Wednesday’s fire appears to be the deadliest to have occurred in Hong Kong in over three decades. Seventeen people were killed when a fire ripped through a karaoke bar in the city in 1997.

Disasters like this are extremely rare in Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China. It has a strong track record when it comes to building safety, thanks to its high quality construction and strict enforcement of building regulations.

Bamboo scaffolding is ubiquitous in the city, used not only in the construction of new buildings, but also in the renovation of thousands of historic tenements every year.

The scaffolding is usually wrapped in fabric safety nets, the burnt remnants of which can be seen in images of the Wang Fuk complex, hanging from scorched bamboo.

Who has spoken about the blaze?

Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to the victims of the disaster, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Xi urged “all-out efforts” from representatives of China’s Central Committee and the Hong Kong Liaison Office to do “everything possible” to assist efforts in minimizing casualties and losses from the fire, according to CCTV.

Lee said that he was “saddened” by the deaths caused by the fire, expressing his “deep condolences to the families of the deceased and those who were injured.”

Hong Kong’s government will dedicate “all its manpower and efforts” to the rescue effort, Lee said, describing the fire as a “major disaster.”

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CNN’s Jerome Taylor, Ivana Kottasová, Karina Tsui and Eve Brennan contributed to this reporting.