Hong Kong's diaspora are also looking on in shock and grief at the deadly fires in their home city.

Raymond Cheung is a former firefighter from Hong Kong who now lives in Heidelberg in Melbourne.

He knows firsthand how challenging the disaster is for his former colleagues.

"They're trying their very best to work in the toughest situation," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"It's so tough with high temperatures, poor ventilation, and they have to carry so much equipment.

"They're still doing a very hardworking and industrious job, so it's time to pray for them, and to support them as well."

That these buildings look like any normal Hong Kong high-rise is one of the most affecting things for Raymond and other people looking on in Hong Kong and abroad.

"They're very sad, they're very depressed, they just cry looking at the news," he said.

"This kind of building is quite common and typical ... Hong Kong is just a concrete jungle made up of a lot of tall buildings.

"It's heartbreaking."

We've had quite a few questions aboutTai Po, where the fires took place. To give us a better sense of the area we asked ABC journalist Mary Lloyd, who used to live there.

Tai Po is a residential district in the north of Hong Kong. It was once a fishing village, but over the past few decades hundreds of thousands of flats were built in densely-packed estates. The area is surrounded by country park and is served by the train line that connects the central districts of Hong Kong with the border of mainland China.

When I lived there, it was a popular spot for people from the city to visit as the starting point for local hikes.

High-rise residential estates in Tai Po, like elsewhere in the territory, can comprise dozens of 20 to 30 storey towers. They typically feature as many as eight residences to a floor, with a central elevator shaft serving each block.

Hong Kong Police Forcehave tweeted they will set up a restricted flying zone above and around  the Wang Fuk Court blaze.

The restricted flying zone will be in place from 8am on November 27 to 8am on November 30 at 8am (local time).

The Xinhua news agency is reporting Chinese PresidentXi Jinping has been briefed on the situation and has instructed central authorities to support Hong Kong’s rescue, medical care and recovery efforts.

He also conveyed condolences to the families of the victims and fallen firefighterHo Wai-ho.

The Chinese government’s Liaison Office for Hong Kong has set up aspecial task group to coordinate and assist with the operation.

China correspondent Allyson Hornis in Beijing, China and spoke to News Breakfast earlier this morning.

You can watch the full video of here:

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau saysseveral schools in Tai Po — including kindergartens, primary and secondary schools —will close on Thursday due to the fire, as well as widespread traffic disruptions.

The bureau added that anyschool affected by the situation can temporarily closeas long as it follows the required procedures.

The three people arrested earlier this morning on suspicion of manslaughter weretwo directors and a consultant for a construction company, Hong Kong police have confirmed.

Senior superintendent Eileen Chung said there was reason to believe the men, aged between 52 and 68, were "grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties".

TheWang Fuk Court complex has been undergoing renovations, which required scaffolding outside each of the complex's eight high-rise towers.

The project was being managed by thePrestige Construction & Engineering Company, but the ABC has so far been unable to confirm whether Prestige employed the three men who were arrested.

While seven of the towers burned, police and firefighters were able to access the eighth building, where Security SecretaryChris Tang says they discovered "exterior netting, tarpaulin and plastic sheeting that burned far more intensely than permitted materials" as well as styrofoam stuck to window frames.

Fire Services DirectorAndy Yeung says the styrofoam panels were blocking ventilation gaps and were extremely flammable, prompting police to investigate whether criminal activity was involved.

  The blaze is centred on Wang Fuk Court, a cluster of apartment towers in Tai Po, a district in Hong Kong’s north-east near the mainland border on the southern edge of the Pearl River Delta.

Asked whether the government would seek assistance from Beijing — including fire services, after footage appeared to show mainland crews standing by at the border — Chief Executive John Lee says he has been in frequent contact with leaders of nearby mainland cities and their firefighting units.

The injury toll has also been updated, with Hong Kong's Fire Services Department lifting the number of injured from 29 to 56.

Among those injured, 45 are in hospital in a serious condition.

Hong Kong police say the death toll in a fire that ripped through residential blocks in the city hasrisen to 44.

The Hong Kong government says fire crews are still working through"extremely difficult conditions".

While the blaze in three of the affected towers is largely under control, small pockets of firecontinue to burn in four other buildings.

Firefighters are moving floor by floor and have so far reached the17th to 18th floors in most towers.

ABC News Breakfast crossed live earlier this morning to journalistRyan Chang, who is on the ground in Hong Kong.

He points out he can see torchlight flashing from within some of the buildings, indicating firefighters have managed to gain access to some of the upper floors — a key difficulty early in the fight.

He adds that bamboo scaffolding fires aren't common in Hong Kong — the city has had more issues with typhoons — however the city has been trying to phase out the material's use since March.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has commented on the blaze in Hong Kong.

"My heart goes out to the people who have lost their lives, and the people who are searching and concerned about loved ones, this has been a human tragedy and the hearts of all Australians today will be thinking of the people of Hong Kong who are going through a very tough day."

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has released a statement on the Hong Kong apartment fires, saying it is not aware of any Australians that have been affected.

"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific fire in Hong Kong, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the victims and their loved ones," the statement reads.

"At this stage, we arenot aware of any Australians being affected. Australian officials in Hong Kong continue to closely monitor the situation.

"Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on1300 555 135, or+61 2 6261 3305 (if calling from overseas)."

Hong Kong authorities have paid tribute to a firefighter who has died battling the Wang Fuk Court fire.

Ho Wai-ho, 37, was described as "dedicated and gallant" by Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin.

"All of our colleagues are deeply saddened by the loss of such a devoted comrade. On behalf of all our colleagues, I have offered the deepest condolences to his family," Yeung said, according to The Standard.

Ho had served as a firefighter for nine years, and was based in the neighbouring Sha Tin district.

He was found unconscious at the scene of the fires yesterday afternoon and taken to hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

If, like me, you've been waiting for the police press conference that was due to start 40 minutes ago, I have some bad news — it's been delayed, and while they say they will brief the press later today, there's no word on when that will happen.