HONG KONG – In a tragic turn of events, Hong Kong’s firefighting teams are grappling with one of the city’s most devastating fires in recent history. As they continued to battle the flames for a second day on Thursday, the inferno, which has claimed at least 44 lives, cast a grim shadow over several high-rise buildings. The incident led to the arrest of three individuals associated with a construction firm, while rescue operations were still underway.

Thick plumes of smoke were still erupting from the Wang Fuk Court complex, located in the Tai Po district near Hong Kong’s border with mainland China, as of Thursday morning. The fire, which ignited on Wednesday afternoon, had rapidly engulfed seven of the complex’s eight buildings. By morning, firefighters reported that they had managed to bring four of the towers under control.

Tragically, among those who perished in the blaze was a firefighter. Officials confirmed that at least 62 others were injured, with many suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.

In connection with the disaster, authorities apprehended three men—two directors and an engineering consultant—who are now facing charges of manslaughter. This development followed suspicions that negligence on the part of the construction company might have contributed to the tragedy.

“We have reason to believe that those in charge of the construction company were grossly negligent,” stated Eileen Chung, a senior superintendent of police, hinting at the possible lapses in safety protocols.

Investigations suggest that the use of non-compliant materials on the exterior walls of the high-rise structures may have facilitated the fire’s rapid spread, raising concerns about adherence to fire safety standards.

Police also said they found Styrofoam — which is highly flammable — attached to the windows on each floor near the elevator lobby of the one unaffected tower. It was believed to have been installed by the construction company but the purpose was not clear. Secretary for Security Chris Tang said they would investigate the materials further.

The fire started on the external scaffolding of a 32-story tower, then spread on the bamboo scaffolding and construction netting to the inside of the building and then to the other buildings, likely aided by windy conditions.

Firefighters aimed water at the intense flames from high on ladder trucks, but conditions for fighting the fire and rescuing people remained challenging.

“Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings (is) falling down,” said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Service operations. “The temperature inside the buildings concerned is very high. It’s difficult for us to enter the building and go upstairs to conduct firefighting and rescue operations.”

The housing complex consisted of eight buildings with almost 2,000 apartments for about 4,800 residents, including many elderly people. It was built in the 1980s and had been undergoing a major renovation.

About 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters overnight, and Hong Kong leader John Lee said 279 people were missing as of midnight. Rescues were continuing, but an updated figure wasn’t available as of midmorning Thursday.

Lawrence Lee, a resident of the towers, was waiting for news about his wife, who was still trapped in their apartment.

“When the fire started, I told her on the phone to escape. But once she left the flat, the corridor and stairs were all filled with smoke and it was all dark, so she had no choice but to go back to the flat,” he said, as he waited in one of the shelters.

Lee, the Chief Executive, said the government will prioritize the disaster and halt promotion for the Dec. 7 elections for the Legislative Council, the city’s legislature. He didn’t say if the elections could be delayed but said decisions would come “a few days later.”

Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed condolences to the firefighter who died and extended sympathies to the families of the victims, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He also urged efforts to minimize casualties and losses.

The fire was the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades. In November 1996, 41 people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a fire that lasted for around 20 hours.

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Wu reported from Bangkok. Researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing contributed to this report.