The death toll from a devastating fire that swept through a Hong Kong apartment complex has risen to 146, with authorities confirming more bodies have been recovered from the charred buildings.
Shuk-yin Tsang, head of the Hong Kong police casualty unit, revealed that approximately 100 people remain unaccounted for, while 79 individuals suffered injuries in the blaze that erupted on Wednesday.
Search operations continue amid challenging conditions
Emergency crews continue their painstaking search through the residential towers of Wang Fuk Court, where the fire ravaged seven of the eight buildings in the complex. The inferno, which began on Wednesday, wasn't fully extinguished until Friday.
Cheng Ka-chun, the police officer leading search operations, described the difficult conditions facing rescue teams. "It is so dark inside, and because of the low light, it is very difficult to do the work, especially in places away from the windows," he explained. Authorities have discovered victims both inside apartments and on building roofs.
Renovation materials under scrutiny
At the time the fire broke out, the towers were undergoing renovations and were covered in bamboo scaffolding wrapped with nylon netting. Windows had been covered with polystyrene panels - materials that residents had repeatedly warned authorities about due to flammability concerns.
Despite these warnings, officials had assured residents that the construction posed "relatively low fire risks." The extensive use of these potentially hazardous materials has become a central focus of the investigation into what caused Hong Kong's deadliest fire in over 75 years.
Public outrage and official response
Over 1,000 mourners gathered on Sunday to pay tribute to the victims, with queues stretching more than a kilometre as people waited to lay flowers and leave handwritten notes for those lost.
Joey Yeung, whose grandmother's apartment was destroyed in the fire, expressed the community's anguish. "I can't accept it. So today I came with my father and my family to lay flowers," the 28-year-old said. "I'm not asking to get anything back but at least give some justice to the families of the deceased - to those who are still alive."
City officials have responded by suspending 28 building projects undertaken by Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, the contractor responsible for the Wang Fuk Court renovations. Authorities stated the fire had "exposed serious deficiencies" in the company's site safety practices, specifically highlighting "the extensive use of foam boards to block up windows during building repairs."
Following the tragedy, two directors and an engineering consultant from a construction firm were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, with police suspecting gross negligence. The three men were initially released on bail but were subsequently rearrested by Hong Kong's anti-corruption authorities, who made eight additional arrests.
As the investigation continues, authorities estimate the search process through all affected buildings could take three to four weeks to complete.
