At least 44 people have been killed so far in a major fire engulfing public housing apartments in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, with 279 people not accounted for.

Three construction company executives have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to flammable materials, including mesh and plastic sheets, that may have allowed the fire to spread quickly.

More than 800 firefighters are tackling the blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which has been burning for over 18 hours.

The fire has been classified a level five blaze, the most serious level in Hong Kong.

A baby and an elderly woman were rescued during a late-night rescue, local media reports.

The tower blocks at Wang Fuk Court were covered in bamboo scaffolding and green construction netting, right up to the rooftops, because they are undergoing renovations.

Such scaffolding has been used in Hong Kong for centuries, as bamboo grows quickly, and is lightweight and very strong. Many see it as an iconic part of the city's urban landscape but Hong Kong is one of the world's last remaining cities to use it in modern construction.

Local media reports in March said the government's development bureau had been trying to phase out the use of bamboo because of safety concerns. The push towards using metal instead of bamboo came after a spate of scaffolding-related deaths in Hong Kong.

Bamboo scaffolds have "intrinsic weaknesses such as variation in mechanical properties, deterioration over time and high combustibility, etc, giving rise to safety concerns", bureau spokesperson Terence Lam was quoted as saying.

An investigation into the causes of the fire has been launched. Authorities note that it seems to have spread quickly - and to neighbouring buildings - through the bamboo scaffolding.

Jason Kong, a Hong Kong resident stands in front of the emergency workers battling the blaze at his apartment building.

A man who lives in Block One of the Tai Po complex overwhelmed by fire earlier today has spoken of his concerns for his friends and his pet.

Jason Kong tells Reuters that police stopped him from entering his building as the fire began to spread and he was unable to rescue his dog. He's now afraid he might have suffocated from the smoke.

Kong says the rapid escalation of the blaze has taken him by surprise: "I received a message at around 15:00 that the roof is on fire. Then it was spreading so quick. It was spreading in a snap. I live in Block One. I thought the fire from Block Three would not spread so fast."

He says he had spoken to friends with young children who were still trapped in the building.

"I am devastated. There are so many neighbours and friends. I do not know what is going on anymore... how should we deal with this?"

It's currently the middle of the night in Hong Kong, but we've recently had an update from authorities there, so let's bring you up to speed if you're just joining us.

At least 36 people have been killed in the fire that took hold of seven apartment buildings in Wang Fuk Court, in the Tai Po district, on Wednesday afternoon.

Dozens of people are in hospital and there are at least 279 still unaccounted for.

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee has said the fire is coming under control, with three buildings showing no signs of flames.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze is being launched, with officials saying that the speed at which the fire spread was "unusual". The high-rise complex was undergoing renovation at the time the fire broke out and was surrounded by bamboo scaffolding.

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters and emergency housing units are being allocated to people needing relocation.

Firefighters and emergency crews are continuing their work through the night, with rescuers saving both a baby and an elderly woman from one of the buildings on fire earlier in the night.

The Hong Kong fire department has classified the blaze as a level five alarm - the highest in severity.

Within 40 minutes of first being reported, it was declared a level four, but by 18:22 (10:22 GMT), about three and a half hours later, the level was raised again.

It has been 17 years since a level five fire last hit Hong Kong.

Earlier, local media reported that explosions could be heard inside the buildings and fire hoses could not easily reach the higher levels.

An emergency monitoring and support centre is in operation to manage the impact of the fire, Security Secretary Tang Ping-keung said in a statement.

A hotline for the public to ask about casualties has been set up by Hong Kong police - the number is +852 1878 999.

Hong Kong's police and fire departments have established a task force to investigate the cause of the fire, chief executive John Lee has said.

The housing authority and buildings department has also launched a review focusing on whether the buildings' fire retardant protective materials met required standards.

Lee says that materials from the buildings and the scaffolding surrounding them would be tested to check compliance.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang says that the rapid spread of the fire was "unusual" and the blaze should not have engulfed the buildings so quickly if regulated materials and scaffolding had been present.

We're seeing some more lines from John Lee's update in local media in Hong Kong.

Lee says the director of fire services has assured him that there are sufficient resources and crews to extinguish the fire.

More than 800 firefighters and paramedics, with 140 fire engines have been deployed to deal with the blaze, he says.

Lee also says that of the seven buildings that were ablaze earlier, three were now not showing any signs of flames, while four showed "disparate signs of fire".

Lee also says that there are 29 people receiving treatment in hospital. Seven of them are in a critical condition.

Winnie Ho says that a housing task force has identified 1,400 units immediately available across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Approximately 280 of those are located in Tai Po itself.

She said that 40 evacuated residents had already moved into one of the transitional housing project in Shan Liu and the housing department was collaborating with other government authorities to provide support for citizens in need.

A baby and an elderly woman have been rescued from the blaze, according to local media reports.

The South China Morning Post says both received oxygen masks before being taken to hospital.

Local network i-Cable News also shared footage of an infant being wheeled into an ambulance on a gurney, as well as video of an elderly woman and a younger woman separately being placed into ambulances.

Earlier, Tai Po District Councillor Mui Siu-fung told the BBC that more than 1,000 people had been taken to a single evacuation facility.

The Home Affairs Department has opened several community centres as temporary shelters, with some schools also made available for relocation.

The BBC Chinese team at the scene has been speaking to people affected by the fire to bring you first-hand accounts of what has occurred. Here are some of the voices we've heard from:

Tai Po District Councillor Mui Siu-fung describes seeing the flames through the windows of the block where the fire started.

Student Tomas Liu says he saw a body being taken away, noting that "when you get closer the heat rises and you can feel it and the smoke is really heavy. It’s a disaster"

A young woman at the scene tells the BBC that her friends live inside one of the buildings and she is waiting for news of whether they managed to get out

And a young group of friends donating supplies to affected residents says they are "immensely heartbroken"

Efforts to bring fire under control continue

Firefighters are still working to bring the fire at Wang Fuk Court under control.

Dozens of flats remain on fire, with striking images like the one below showing the emergency teams continuing their work in the darkness.

Local media have reported hearing blasts and seeing sparks fly out of the buildings on fire, as BBC Chinese's Phoebe Wong tells us she can hear "popping sounds" coming from the area of the blaze.

Dozens if not hundreds of people are still gathering near the burning estates as we enter Thursday here in Hong Kong.

Some are praying in silence. Some are delivering water and food.

Earlier tonight, we spoke to an elderly lady who lives in one of the affected blocks. She says she's lucky enough that she was not at home when the fire broke out.

However, she is worried about her apartment because it's not insured. "I'm very upset that I have no home to go now," she tells me.

It is almost midnight in Hong Kong and the fire is still ripping through Wang Fuk Court, a residential complex that houses about 4,600 people in the Tai Po district

Firefighters are tackling the blaze in a bid to quell the flames that have claimed at least 13 lives so far. Here's what else you need to know:

Of the 13 people killed, nine were declared dead at the scene. An additional 15 people were injured, Hong Kong authorities say

More than 700 firefighters and dozens of fire engines have been deployed to Wang Fuk Court to tackle what remains a level 5 fire - the most serious category

A firefighter killed while fighting the blaze was named as Ho Wai-ho - he has been described as "dedicated and gallant" by Hong Kong government officials

President Xi Jinping has expressed condolences over the deaths caused by the fire, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Political parties have suspended campaigning to show support for affected residents and several local schools have confirmed they will remain closed on Thursday

Tai Po District Councillor Mui Siu-fung has told BBC Chinese thousands of people have been evacuated to shelters

It is still unclear how many people are trapped inside the building or what caused the fire

Hong Kong's Education Bureau says several schools in the Tai Po district will remain closed tomorrow because of the Wang Fuk Court blaze.

The list of schools affected is on the Hong Kong government website, external, which adds that other individual school may choose to close if they feel the need to, and parents should monitor any announcements from the Education Bureau and their schools.

The bureau also says it has dispatched education psychologists to the temporary shelters set up at Tai Po Fu Shan Community Hall and Shan Lou to provide support to affected students.

We can now bring you an official tribute from Tang Ping-keung, Hong Kong's secretary for security, to firefighter Ho Wai-ho, who died battling today's blaze.

"I am profoundly grieved at the passing of Mr Ho, who lost his life in the course of an operation," Tang says. "I offer my deepest condolences to his family members."

The statement adds Ho sustained injuries while in the line of duty and died at the Prince of Wales Hospital.

"Mr. Tang also expressed sympathies to the family members of others who died in the fire and wished the injured people a speedy recovery," the statement says.

It's just gone 23:00 in Hong Kong (15:00 GMT) but there is no sign of the fire stopping.

Mr. Ho and his friends live in Tai Po and they have brought supplies to the victims and affected residents - including dozens of blankets and heat packs.

When asked about their feelings about the disastrous fire, they say "the government is incompetent" - adding that they are "immensely heartbroken".

"We don't want to see any more casualties and hope all firefighters will return home peacefully." (Pieced together from different BBC reports)

• PHOTO: Wide shot showing several buildings of the Wang Fuk Court complex on fire, black and grey smoke billowing in the early night sky. Image source: EPA.

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