What to know about the apartment fire in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s worst fire in memory was still smoldering in several apartment towers Thursday as firefighters struggled to rescue dozens of people who remained unaccounted for.

At least 65 people were known to have died in the blaze that broke out Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in Taipo, a suburb in the city's mountainous New Territories. Dozens more were injured, and about 900 of the 4,800 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters overnight.

Seven of the eight 32-story towers in the building complex were engulfed in flames after construction materials and bamboo scaffolding caught fire. Officials said that extreme heat was hampering rescue efforts.

The fire was deadlier than one in November 1996, when 41 people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a blaze that lasted for around 20 hours.

Here's what to know about the disaster:

Officials are investigating why construction materials, netting and bamboo scaffolding being used in renovations to the outsides of the high-rise buildings at Wang Fuk Court caught fire.

In the meantime, authorities arrested three people, the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, on suspicion of manslaughter. Police did not name the company, but they searched the office of Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., which The Associated Press confirmed was in charge of the renovations. Phone calls to the company's offices went unanswered.

Officials said they suspect that some materials, such as plastic foam panels being used to protect windows from damage, did not meet fire resistance standards. High winds helped spread the flames.

About a third of Hong Kong residents live in the government's Housing Authority dwellings. Wang Fuk Court is a complex of privately-owned but subsidized housing.

Built in the 1980s, the basic apartments measure 40-45 square meters (430-485 square feet), according to online real estate listings. Like most Hong Kong mass market housing, they appear not to be equipped with smoke detectors or sprinkler systems.

The buildings were constructed before revisions to Hong Kong's fire codes required mandatory fire refuge floors.

Hong Kong's 7.5 million residents mostly live in cramped apartments crammed on scarce flat lands or perched on the slopes of steep mountainsides. Many of those high-rise buildings are crowded closely together.

Firefighters struggled to bring the blazes under control as their ladders and hoses could only reach just over halfway up the 32-story buildings, or about 53 meters (174 feet) — under 20 stories.

High winds and extremely high heat may have prevented use of aerial equipment such as helicopters. The high temperatures also deterred firefighters from entering the buildings to fight the blaze and rescue survivors, said Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Hong Kong's Fire Service Operations.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the government would set up a task force to conduct a full investigation into the disaster. He said the case would be submitted to the Coroner’s Court, which conducts inquiries into the causes and circumstances of certain deaths.

Lee said the government planned to inspect all housing estates undergoing major repairs to review the safety of scaffolding and construction materials. He also promised to provide “all possible support” to those affected by the fire.

The hundreds of survivors who were evacuated or were outside the buildings at the time the fire started were staying in temporary shelters, including a nearby school.

There, workers were distributing bottled water, food and other necessities. Volunteers were bringing supplies like water and snacks.

Seventy people were injured, the city's Fire Services Department said. The Hospital Authority said earlier that 17 taken to hospitals were in critical condition.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire which broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Wednesday, Nov. 26 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

FILE - Firefighters continue to battle the deadly blaze at the Wang Fuk Court high-rise apartment complex for a second day in Hong Kong, Nov. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)

Burned buildings are seen at the scene of the fire that started Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

A pet dog with its owner rest at a temporary shelter near the fire scene at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Residents rest at a temporary shelter near the fire scene at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

A firefighter works to extinguish a fire that broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Thursday, Nov. 27 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Smoke rises after a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Thursday, Nov. 27 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire which broke out Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau received medical attention for a possible allergic reaction while his teammates were flying to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X on Wednesday showing a covered individual being wheeled out of Michigan's player development center on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance.

Michigan later confirmed it was Cadeau, who complained of a possible allergic reaction.

“Elliot alerted the medical staff that he may have had an allergic reaction to something that he ate," the team said in a statement. “The doctors evaluated Elliot and he is fine. Out of an abundance of caution, he is receiving medical supervision and will be traveling to Indianapolis later today.”

The school said Cadeau will meet the team in Indianapolis, where Michigan is set to take on Arizona on Saturday night in a Final Four clash between No. 1 seeds.

The Wolverines are chasing their first national title since 1989 and second in program history.

Michigan’s backcourt took a hit late in the regular season when key reserve LJ Cason had a knee injury, forcing coach Dusty May to lean on Roddy Gayle and Trey McKenney to play more.

Cadeau averages 10.2 points, a team-high 5.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 27 minutes a game. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention while helping the Wolverines win the conference championship.

Directing a high-scoring offense, Cadeau has at least seven assists in each of Michigan’s four games in the NCAA Tournament. He had 17 points and 10 assists in the win over Tennessee that lifted the team to the Final Four.

The 6-foot-5 Cadeau, who is from New Jersey, is in his first season with the Wolverines after transferring from North Carolina. He started in 68 games over the previous two years for the Tar Heels. He has not missed a game in three seasons, playing in 112 straight games.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Michigan's Elliot Cadeau celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Alabama, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)