Hong Kong police arrest construction firm bosses over fire; death toll hits 83 with scores missing

Hong Kong, November 28: Hong Kong police arrested the bosses of a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter on Friday over the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years.
This killed at least 83 people with scores more listed as missing.
By the early hours of Friday, firefighters had mostly contained the blaze raging for more than 24 hours, ripping through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northern district of Tai Po.
The estate had been undergoing renovations and was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh.
Most of the victims were found in two high-rise blocks in the eight-tower complex, Deputy Director of Fire Services Derek Armstrong Chan said.
He said firefighters found residents who were alive in several of the buildings, but gave no further details. The South China Morning Post reported one survivor was found on the stairwell of one of the buildings.
Rescuers battled intense heat, thick smoke and collapsing scaffolding and debris as they fought to reach residents feared trapped on the upper floors of the complex.
"We expect the fire to be fully put out tonight," Chan said. "We'll continue to douse water to lower the temperatures," he added.
A distraught woman carrying her daughter's graduation photograph searched for her child outside a shelter, one of eight that authorities said are housing 900 residents.
"She and her father are still not out yet," said the 52-year-old, who gave only her surname, Ng, as she sobbed. "They didn't have water to save our building."
Police arrested two directors and an engineering consultant of Prestige Construction, a firm contracted to perform maintenance on the buildings. Police said those arrested were under suspicion of manslaughter for using unsafe materials.
"We have reason to believe that the company's responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties," Police Superintendent Eileen Chung said.
Prestige did not answer repeated calls for comment.
Police seized bidding documents, a list of employees, 14 computers and three mobile phones in a raid of the company's office, the government added.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation