04:29 GMT
As some of the buildings in Wang Fuk Court continue to burn, the materials used in their renovation have come under scrutiny.
No matter the cause of the fire, proper netting on the buildings’ exterior would have been key to preventing the spread of fire, Jason Poon, chairman of construction NGO Chinat Monitor, told Mandarin news outlet Initium Media.
Substandard netting could cause fire to spread rapidly, Mr Poon said.
Another engineer told Initium Media he believes that the vast majority of mesh netting used in construction across Hong Kong are not made of fire-retardant material.
There are also often cardboard, debris and thinner found on the scaffolding, which along with dry weather could hasten the spread of fire, the engineer said.
Earlier today, fire officials noted the “unusual” presence of “extremely inflammable” styrofoam boards covering the windows of the Wang Fuk Court apartment blocks.