Flames leapt from one building to another in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district in a matter of hours, fuelled by scaffolding, green mesh and plastic foam boards that may have accelerated their spread. Here’s what we know so far.

Residents of Wang Fuk Court apartments had raised concerns about flammable foam panels and scaffold netting, but the government did not take decisive action.

Police investigators have been searching the charred shells of the tower blocks to gather evidence and determine the cause of the fire. Bodies of some of the victims are believed to remain inside the buildings. The fire broke out in a large housing complex in Tai Po, a residential district in the northern part of Hong Kong.