(Adnkronos) – Italy’s Consulate General in Hong Kong and its foreign ministry are tracking the situation in the city, where blazes in seven adjacent tower blocks have killed at least 65, with hundreds of people missing in the deadliest fire in 70 years.
“The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong, in close coordination with the Italian Foreign Ministry, is closely monitoring the situation in the city, where several high-rise buildings within a residential complex have been affected by fires, resulting in dozens of casualties,” said a foreign ministry statement on Thursday.
“At present, no Italian nationals have been reported among either the victims or the injured. However, checks by the local Authorities are still under way,” the statement added.
The Consulate General is ready to provide consular assistance to Italian nationals in the affected area, according to the statement
Police have arrested three construction company executives on suspicion of manslaughter after flammable materials (including bamboo scaffolding and safety nets) were found on the tower blocks at the housing estate in Tai Po in the north of the city.
Black smoke was still billowing from the charred remains of the tower blocks on Friday, with pockets of fire visible through apartment windows over 24 hours after the lethal blaze broke out.
