Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in history appears to be man-made.

The catastrophic blaze broke out on Wednesday (26th) at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a 42-year-old Home Ownership Scheme estate with nearly 2,000 flats. Exterior repairs were underway at the time. Seven of its eight blocks caught fire, some burning all the way to the top. It has become the worst residential fire in Hong Kong’s history in terms of casualties.

Last September, a Wang Fuk Court resident asked the Labour Department about the fire-safety standards of the scaffolding netting used in the repair works. The department replied that as the project did not involve open flames or combustible processes, the fire risk was low, and therefore flame-retardant standards were not required for the netting.