Hong Kong’s Deadliest Fire in Decades Kills Dozens, Hundreds Displaced

Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in more than half a century killed at least 55 and destroyed hundreds of homes, throwing scrutiny on the city’s construction standards and raising questions of criminal accountability.

Firefighters finally brought the blaze at an eight-tower housing block in northern Hong Kong under control on Thursday afternoon, although smoke still billowed over the city’s skyline. The fire began on a section of bamboo scaffolding erected for a controversial HK$315.5 million ($40.6 million) renovation project, and quickly curled around the compact cluster of high-rise communities.