(MENAFN- Live Mint) Hong Kong fire: The death toll in the deadliest fire at a building in Hong Kong rose to 65 on Thursday as efforts continue to search for nearly 300 missing people.

As the firefighters battle the blaze at a high-rise apartment on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court complex, housing thousands of people in Tai Po district, the focus has now shifted to the use of bamboo scaffolding and green construction mesh.

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The complex was under renovation and encased in bamboo scaffolding and safety netting. Though the exact cause of the deadly inferno is not yet known, the fire is believed to have started in scaffolding before it spread across seven of the complex's eight buildings.

The presence of nets and plastic mesh wrapped around the structures as part of construction work.

Video and images from the scene showed flames leaping from at least two of towers sheathed in green construction mesh and scaffolding.

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According to AP, officials have so far pointed to flammable construction materials such as plastic netting and Styrofoam panels used as window coverings as key factors in the rapid spread of the fire.

Police superintendent Eileen Chung said that they have reason to believe that the company's responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident.

Questions are being raised about the role of the bamboo scaffolding.

According to Reuters, scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong where bamboo poles lashed together using wire and other strong materials.

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- Bamboo scaffolding is also used for temporary structures.

- The pole are harvested from 3-year-old bamboo plants.

- They are lightweight, inexpensive and easy to transport.

- They're seen as easier to install and remove from the kinds of tight spaces.

- They are seen as less dangerous than heavy metal poles in case of collapse.

- The bamboo poles are usually imported from Zhaoxing

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Remaining bamboo scaffolding at one of the towers following a fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Tai Po district in Hong Kong, China, on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025.
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However, Hong Kong is moving toward phasing out the use of bamboo.

Reuters reported that, according to the Construction Industry Council, there are about 2,500 registered bamboo scaffolders in Hong Kong.

According to AFP, Hong Kong's anti-corruption body said it has launched a probe into renovation work at the housing complex, hours after police said they had arrested three men on suspicion of negligently leaving foam packaging at the fire site.

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