Chief Executive John Lee said promotion activities and election forums relating to the upcoming Legco polls have been suspended as the entire government focuses on dealing with the deadly Tai Po fire that has killed at least 36 people and left almost 300 others missing.

“I have directed all government departments and units to put their full force to handle the various tasks at hand,” Lee told reporters at an early morning briefing on Thursday.

“The top priority is to put out the fire and rescue trapped residents. The second task is to treat the wounded, the third is to handle the aftermath, and then we’ll undergo a comprehensive investigation,” he added.

Asked if the Legco polls, scheduled to be held on December 7, would be delayed in the wake of the tragedy, the Chief Executive said decisions on such matters would be made later on.

"We have suspended promotional activities for the Legco elections, as well as forums," he said.

"The government is dedicated to handling this major disaster. Our priority now is to handle the blaze.

"Regarding other matters, we'll decide what to do in a few days after coordinating our work.

"But we want everyone to know that everything we do is for the overall interest of Hong Kong."

Lee added that while holding the election is important work, the priority at the moment is to tackle the blaze and help residents.