44 killed, 279 missing in fire at multiple high-rise towers in Hong Kong, 3 arrested
Beijing/Hong Kong (PTI): The death toll in a deadly fire in multiple high-rise towers in Hong Kong has risen to 44 with 279 people still missing, Chinese official media reports said on Thursday.
Three men have been arrested for suspected manslaughter in the fire that broke out in Wang Fuk Court on Wednesday, Hong Kong Police Force said in a press briefing on Thursday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee said that 279 people are still missing in the worst fire in Hong Kong’s history involving multiple high-rise blocks. At least forty five people have been injured in the incident.
Police investigation suggested that the protective nets, waterproof canvas and plastic cloth covering the buildings might fall short of fireproof standards.
The police also found that polyurethane foam was used to seal windows of elevator lobbies in an unaffected building in the residential area, and pointed to the flammable material as a possible cause for the rapid spread of fire, the report said.
The three men arrested by police were executives of a construction company responsible for installing these materials for the renovation of the buildings. The suspects aged between 52 and 68 include two company directors and a project consultant whose gross negligence was believed to have caused heavy casualties,it added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday night extended condolences over the deadly residential building fire and directed authorities to make all efforts to put out the blaze.
He immediately sought updates on the rescue efforts and casualties and instructed the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to convey his condolences and sympathies to HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee.
Xi directed the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the liaison office to support the HKSAR government in making all-out efforts to put out the fire, do everything possible in search and rescue, treat the injured, and comfort the victims' families, Xinhua reported.
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Man dies by suicide after jumping in front of metro train in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): A man died by suicide on Friday after allegedly jumping in front of an approaching train at Kengeri metro station in Bengaluru, briefly affecting services on the purple line, officials said.
The identity of the deceased is being ascertained. The incident occurred at 8.15 am, the Metro officials said.
Police, along with the paramedical team, have immediately cleared the body from the track. Following the incident, services on the Purple Line were briefly affected with the suspension of service beyond Mysore Road up to Challaghatta. The services were restored later, they added.
"Services between Jnana Bharathi and Challagatta have been fully restored as of 09:40 hrs. Train operations across the entire Purple Line are now running as per schedule," the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said in a post on 'X'.
