HONG KONG, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters are working around the clock to put out the major fire that has ripped through a residential complex in Hong Kong since Wednesday afternoon, while help and support came pouring in from various communities across Hong Kong and beyond.
By 10 p.m. on Thursday, the fire in Wang Fuk Court had left 75 people dead and 76 injured, according to the Fire Services Department (FSD). Eleven firefighters were injured, and one was killed in action.
Firefighters rescued a man from the affected area at around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, said the FSD. At an earlier press briefing, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee said 55 people had been rescued from the buildings.
Lee added that the HKSAR government is giving each fire-hit household a cash grant of 10,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 1,286 U.S. dollars) on Thursday evening.
The HKSAR government has set up nine emergency shelters to place the residents. In the longer term, the HKSAR government will pool public and private resources to provide around 1,800 transitional housing units, Lee said.
Wang Fuk Court, an affordable housing complex completed in 1983, houses around 4,000 residents in 1,984 units. When the fire broke out, all eight buildings were encased by green mesh and scaffolding due to a major renovation project. The fire started from the scaffolding outside one building and spread to six others.
Three men responsible for the renovations were arrested early Thursday for suspected manslaughter, as a police investigation identified flammable materials covering the buildings as a possible cause for the rapid spread of fire.
Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption on Thursday launched a probe into alleged corruption in the renovation project.
The HKSAR government has ordered a city-wide safety inspection on all scaffolding and construction materials used in renovation projects for buildings, according to the chief executive.
An outpouring of help and support kept coming to those in need. Donations of food, drinking water and clothes arrived one heap after another at emergency shelters. One shelter posted a notice saying that it would stop accepting supplies because donors had produced a glut.
"In the time of difficulties, Hong Kong people stood by each other," said a volunteer surnamed Chan, helping out at Tung Cheong Street Sports Center since early Thursday morning.
To provide shelters for rescued pets, some volunteers brought cages to areas near Wang Fuk Court while a vet stood ready to help. On social media platforms, people saluted a firefighter who rescued nine cats and a dog from a household.
A bevy of Hong Kong and Chinese mainland companies, including Henderson Land Group, HSBC and jeweler Laopu Gold, have announced donations of up to 30 million Hong Kong dollars in cash and disaster-relief supplies. Many companies and organizations pledged further donations.
The HKSAR government on Thursday earmarked 300 million Hong Kong dollars to establish a fund to help tide Wang Fuk Court residents over difficulties. Individuals can wire their donations in all currencies to the fund's bank accounts. Enditem
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