Image source, Getty Images

A fire safety expert believes the large amount of bamboo scaffolding connecting the apartment blocks fanned last night's fire.

The blaze was able to penetrate rapidly, causing a large number of deaths and injuries, said Professor Jiang Liming from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Bamboo scaffolding is an iconic sight across Hong Kong and widely used in construction.

Earlier this year, authorities announced plans to phase out bamboo in favour of sturdier, fire-resistant steel. They cited bamboo combustibility and tendency to deteriorate over time.

Prof Jiang also noted that the blocks at Wang Fuk Court were "relatively old" - they were built in the 1980s - so "the the glass windows are not that fire resilient".

"The modern buildings have double pane glass windows, but for this one they perhaps used just a single pane... [which makes it] very easy to be broken by the flames and the flames can then penetrate through the facade," he told BBC News.

Here are some scenes from earlier this morning, as officials race against the clock to extinguish flames burning inside the largely blackened high-rises.

Nearly 40% of the 4,600 people who lived in the Wang Fuk Court housing complex are at least 65, or older, according to a 2021 census.

Some of them have lived in the subsidised public housing estate since it was built in the 1980s.

Image source, Getty Images

This is Hong Kong's deadliest fire in at least 63 years, with at least 44 people killed so far and 279 people still unaccounted for.

It has already matched the toll of the August 1962 inferno in the Sham Shui Po neighbourhood, which killed 44 people and left hundreds more homeless in the city. Around 50lbs (22.7kg) of fireworks stored on the premises had caused the blaze to spread quickly to the upper floors, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

In November 1996, a fire at the Garley Building in Kowloon killed 41 people and injured 81 others.

The deadliest blaze on record happened in 1948 following a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse containing "dangerous goods", according to SCMP. It killed 176 people.

As some of the buildings in Wang Fuk Court continue to burn, the materials used in their renovation have come under scrutiny.

No matter the cause of the fire, proper netting on the buildings' exterior would have been key to preventing the spread of fire, Jason Poon, chairman of construction NGO Chinat Monitor, told Mandarin news outlet Initium Media.

Substandard netting could cause fire to spread rapidly, Mr Poon said.

Another engineer told Initium Media he believes that the vast majority of mesh netting used in construction across Hong Kong are not made of fire-retardant material.

There are also often cardboard, debris and thinner found on the scaffolding, which along with dry weather could hasten the spread of fire, the engineer said.

Earlier today, fire officials noted the "unusual" presence of "extremely inflammable" styrofoam boards covering the windows of the Wang Fuk Court apartment blocks.

Danny Vincent
Reporting from Tai Po

Image source, BBC/Danny Vincent

Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.

I can smell it in the air. I can also see a number of small fires still burning in the apartment blocks.

Even more fire engines and an ambulance have arrived this morning to help with rescue efforts.

Koh Ewe
Live reporter

For more than a year, the windows of Kiko Ma's apartment in Wang Fuk Court have been sealed as part of renovation works.

Residents sometimes found cigarette butts near the windows, which they suspect are left behind by construction workers, she tells the BBC.

"People kept asking what would happen if there was a fire. Everyone was very worried about this," said Ms Ma. The 33-year-old lives in Canada but visits her Hong Kong apartment several times a year.

Some fire alarms at Wang Fuk Court have been turned off during renovation, she added, as construction workers regularly used fire escapes to go in and out of the building.

In the hours since the fire broke out, a group chat made up of residents and homeowners has been flooded with messages from people whose families are still missing.

"This was preventable. This was not an accident. A lot of people did not do their duties," Ms Ma says.

Image source, Getty Images

Hong Kong has suspended all campaigning ahead of the Legislative Council election on 7 December to prioritise relief efforts.

“The top priority is to put out the fire and rescue trapped residents. The second task is to treat the wounded, the third is to handle the aftermath, and then we’ll undergo a comprehensive investigation," the city's chief executive John Lee told reporters at an early morning briefing, according to Radio Television Hong Kong.

Lee would not be drawn on whether the election could be delayed due to the fire.

The upcoming election is the second since China made sweeping and controversial changes to Hong Kong's electoral system, widely seen as part of Beijing's plan to tighten control over the city.

Here are the latest photos we're getting from Tai Po, where rescue and relief efforts are still ongoing. Some 900 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters. Hundreds more are still unaccounted for.

Image source, BBC/Koey Lee

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, BBC/Koey Lee

Image source, Getty Images

Condolences are pouring in from beyond the city.

The US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau said it is "deeply saddened by the tragic fire".

"Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this devastating fire. We extend our heartfelt condolences during this time of profound loss," it wrote in a statement on X., external

The British Consulate General said it is standing with the people of Hong Kong "honouring the strength of the community, and all those responding during this difficult time."

"At this moment, let us all pray for Hong Kong together," Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te wrote on X, external, adding that he hoped "the missing can be safely found as soon as possible".

Koey Lee
BBC Chinese, Hong Kong

Image source, Koey Lee/BBC

It's morning here in Hong Kong, and residents who spent the night at the homes of friends or relatives are returning to the scene of the fire to assess the damage.

Community halls have been stocked with relief supplies, providing food and water for displaced residents.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the tower blocks as a result of the fire.

Koey Lee
BBC News Chinese, Hong Kong

An 82-year-old woman surnamed Wu, who was sitting on a platform outside Kwong Fuk Estate watching the burning building, told BBC Chinese yesterday that she had been playing mahjong with her friends.

But suddenly her friends received calls from their husbands, saying there was a fire. They took the lift down to the street. Her friends went to a hotel, but the woman - who has lived here for 42 years - refused to leave.

"I stayed here to watch what was going on. I told my son I would only be at peace when the fire calmed down."

New images are coming through which show firefighters spraying water on the blackened towers as they try to contain the flames.

Remnants of the bamboo scaffolding and the green mesh that encased some of the buildings are also visible. The materials may have allowed the fire to spread more quickly, officials have said.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Thirteen schools will suspend classes today due to the ongoing firefighting operation affecting traffic, the Hong Kong education bureau has said.

A spokesman also says educational psychologists have been sent to the temporary shelters nearby to offer appropriate support for affected students.

Drone footage shows the scene this morning at the site, where smoke continues to billow from the towers and firefighters battle to try to contain the blaze.

Image source, Reuters

It's approaching 08:00 in Hong Kong (00:00 GMT), and the scale of the tragedy is still emerging after a major fire engulfed apartment blocks in the city's Tai Po district. If you're just joining us, here is what we know so far:

• At least 44 people have died, while 45 people are in a critical condition. A further 279 people are not accounted for
• Three people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter - two are directors of a construction firm and one is an engineering consultant

• While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, police say mesh and plastic sheets were found on windows at the buildings, which were undergoing renovations. Police say these materials may have allowed the fire to spread more quickly
• This morning, smoke is still billowing from some of the tower blocks - but the fire is under control in four of the eight buildings

• The fire department expects it to take the entire day to contain the fire
• Hundreds of residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters and emergency housing units are being allocated to people needing relocation
• The Hong Kong fire department has classified the blaze as a level five alarm - the most severe. It has been 17 years since a level five fire last hit Hong Kong

Police have just given more information about the suspects who have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The three men, aged between 52 and 68, are from a construction firm - two are directors and one is an engineering consultant.

Police have said they found mesh and protective material on the outside of the buildings that don't seem to be fireproof, as well as Styrofoam on the building's windows.

The police spokesperson said: "We have reason to believe that those in charge at the company were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties."

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

We have more details on the three arrests that we reported a little earlier.

Two directors and a consultant of a construction company were arrested by police for being "grossly negligent". The complex was undergoing extensive renovations when the fire began.

Police said they found polystyrene boards blocking windows at the site and suspect they, along with substandard construction materials, may have allowed the fire to spread so quickly.

Some more from the press conference now, where the fire representatives are asked why it's taking so long to put out the fire.

They say operating at night poses additional dangers to crews, which has slowed progress.

The temperatures inside the buildings have also remained very high, making it difficult to work on the upper floors, the fire department's deputy director Derek Armstrong Chan said.

He adds that they are expecting it to take the entire day before the operation to contain the fire is complete, but the fire is under control in four of the eight buildings.

The press conference from the Hong Kong authorities has just started and they began by announcing that 44 people are now known to have died in the fire.

According to officials, 40 died at the scene and four more in hospital.

They also say that there are 45 people in critical condition.

Stick with us, and we'll bring you more from the briefing as soon as we have it.