While the death toll continues to rise, hope is growing of finding survivors in the partially destroyed high-rise buildings.
A man was rescued this morning after being found on the 16th floor in a stairwell, and nearly 300 people who raised the alarm from inside the buildings have also been rescued, writes the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Around 50 people who also raised the alarm have not yet been reached.
For relatives waiting for news of loved ones, a frantic search is underway. A woman whose close relative is missing tells SCMP that she has been asked to look through a photo album of those confirmed dead.
"The staff warned me that the pictures are horrific, so I don't dare look at them. I've called other relatives who can come and help me," she says.
Another woman was unable to find her sister and brother-in-law among the pictures.
I can't describe the feeling when I flipped through the album. There were so many pictures of children.
Three arrested
The fire started on Wednesday afternoon local time and quickly spread to seven of the eight buildings in the Wang Fuk Court complex, which has almost 2,000 apartments and around 4,800 residents. The fires in all buildings were reported to be under control early Thursday afternoon, Swedish time. But thick smoke is still billowing and both minor explosions and fires are still breaking out.
According to SCMP, 58 people are being treated in hospital, twelve of whom have life-threatening injuries. Firefighters are among the dead and injured.
Renovations to the complex had been underway for over a year when the fire broke out. Three men from a construction company have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
"We have reason to believe that those responsible for the construction company were grossly negligent," says Eileen Chung at the police.
Styrofoam in windows
According to authorities, highly flammable Styrofoam was used in the renovation work, which is being pointed out as a reason for the rapid course of events. Police say they have found flammable Styrofoam near the windows on all floors of the only house that survived the fire.
Hong Kong's anti-corruption unit has also launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire, to determine whether corruption may have occurred during the renovation work of Wang Fuk Court.
All residential areas undergoing major repairs in the city will now be inspected, Hong Kong's regional leader John Lee said on social media.
