A catastrophic fire that tore through public housing blocks in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district for nearly 18 hours has left at least 44 people dead, with 279 residents still unaccounted for and 45 in critical condition, making it the city’s deadliest blaze in more than six decades.

The inferno erupted late on Wednesday at the Wang Fuk Court estate, a subsidized complex built in the 1980s and home to about 4,600 residents, nearly 40 percent of whom are elderly. Flames rapidly consumed four of the estate’s eight towers, fueled by bamboo scaffolding, non-fireproof mesh netting, and polystyrene boards covering windows during ongoing renovations. Fire officials raised the alarm to level five—the highest severity—only the second such classification in 17 years.

By Thursday morning, firefighters had brought the main blaze under control, though smoke continued to hang over the charred towers as crews worked to extinguish hotspots. Police arrested three construction firm executives—two directors aged 52 and 68, and a 52-year-old engineering consultant—on suspicion of manslaughter after investigators discovered “extremely inflammable” materials at the site. Authorities suspect negligence in renovation practices allowed the flames to spread uncontrollably.

Experts say the city’s iconic bamboo scaffolding, while traditional, is highly combustible and likely acted as a conduit between blocks. Aging single-pane windows shattered under intense heat, accelerating the spread. Survivors described chaotic evacuations, with many elderly residents unable to flee quickly. Hundreds were rescued or relocated to temporary shelters stocked with food, water, and psychological support.

Drone footage revealed blackened facades and twisted metal, while community halls became hubs for displaced families sorting through donated supplies. One resident, Kiko Ma, said concerns about discarded cigarette butts and disabled alarms had been raised long before the fire: “This was preventable… A lot of people did not do their duties.”

In response, Hong Kong suspended campaigning for the December 7 Legislative Council elections to focus on relief efforts. Chief Executive John Lee pledged priority for firefighting, medical aid, and investigations. Schools near the site were closed, and educational psychologists dispatched to support affected children. Condolences poured in from the U.S., U.K., and Taiwan’s president, who prayed for the missing.

The tragedy echoes Hong Kong’s grim fire history, matching the 1962 Shek Kip Mei blaze that killed 44 and spurred the creation of modern public housing, and surpassing the 1996 Garley Building inferno, which claimed 41 lives.

Authorities have promised a full probe into renovation standards, with growing calls to phase out bamboo scaffolding in favor of fire-resistant steel.