Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee said in the small hours of Thursday that a fire at Wang Fuk Court, a residential area in Tai Po of Hong Kong, has been gradually brought under control after firefighters' tireless efforts.

Lee said that from the outside, three buildings now showed no visible flames, while four others displayed only sporadic fire spots.

He said that the HKSAR government will mobilize all resources to fully support the rescue operations. He added that he has instructed departments and units to carry out comprehensive work, including extinguishing the fire, rescuing trapped residents, treating the injured, providing assistance and emotional support to families, and conducting a full investigation into the accident.

The death toll from the fire has risen to 44 and a firefighter was among those killed, with 45 people in hospital in critical condition, Hong Kong police said at a press conference before dawn.

Eileen Chung, a Hong Kong police superintendent, said that three men from the construction company responsible for renovation of the apartment blocks had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the fire.

The three suspects are aged between 52 and 68. Two are company directors and one is a project consultant.

A initial police investigation suggested that the protective nets, waterproof canvas and plastic cloth covering the buildings might fall short of fireproof standards. The police also found that polyurethane foam was used to seal windows of elevator lobbies in an unaffected building in the residential area, and pointed to the flammable material as a possible cause for the rapid spread of fire.

The Fire Services Department of the HKSAR government was notified of the accident at around 2:51 p.m. on Wednesday. Due to the fierce blaze, at 6:22 p.m. the department raised the alert to No. 5 alarm fire – the highest level in HKSAR. Rescue operations are ongoing.

Wang Fuk Court consists of eight residential buildings, and the fire spread to seven of them.

The Hong Kong Hospital Authority has activated its Major Incident Control Center.

Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Sam Hou Fai expressed his condolences to the families of victims. Sam contacted Lee to convey his condolences, underscoring a fraternal relationship between Macao and Hong Kong. He added that the Macao SAR government stands ready to provide full support, if needed.

(With input from agencies)