Police Arrest Director And Technical Consultant Related To Hong Kong Fire

JAKARTA - Police arrested 3 people in connection with a devastating fire that killed 55 people in an apartment complex in Tai Po district, Hong Kong.

Hundreds of residents were evacuated as the fire spread to seven of the eight towers in the Wang Fuk Court compound, while flames and smoke billowed out of the window.

Authorities suspect that some of the materials on the outside walls of these tall buildings do not meet the fire resistance standards, due to the rapid and unusual spread of fire.

Police also found styrofoam material that was very flammable outside a window on every floor near the elevator lobby in the only tower not affected, believed to be installed by a construction company.

"We have reason to believe that those responsible for the construction company are very negligent," saidten Chung, a senior police inspector.

The three men arrested, aged 52 to 68, were the company's technical directors and consultants.