𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

HONG KONG — A major fire tore through multiple high-rise towers at a housing complex in Hong Kong on Wednesday, killing dozens of people, the city’s chief executive, John Lee, said, with 279 people still unaccounted for.

Twenty-nine others were being treated in hospitals, seven of whom were in critical condition, after the fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po.

Three people, aged between 52 and 68, were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, Reuters reported, citing Hong Kong authorities, and the death toll had risen to 44 by early morning local time.

The fire in four of the residential buildings in the complex was under control by early morning local time, Hong Kong authorities said, according to Reuters.

Massive flames and thick plumes of dark smoke could be seen coming from multiple towers at the housing complex, which opened in 1983 and has almost 2,000 residential units across eight buildings.

Harry Cheung, 66, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years, told Reuters he heard a loud noise and saw fire erupt in a nearby block.

“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” he said.

“I don’t even know how I feel right now,” he said. “I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight, because I probably won’t be able to go back home.”

A resident who provided only her surname, Wu, told local TV station TVB: “I’ve given up thinking about my property. Watching it burn like that was really frustrating.”