The death toll from a fire at an apartment complex in Hong Kong climbed to 146 on Sunday, with more bodies discovered by investigators in the burnt-out buildings. A growing makeshift memorial at the disaster site saw a continuous flow of people laying bouquets of flowers, marking one of the city’s worst tragedies.
The Disaster Victim Identification Unit of the Hong Kong police meticulously combed through the Wang Fuk Court complex, uncovering bodies in both apartment units and on the rooftops, according to Cheng Ka-chun, the overseeing officer.
Although the buildings are structurally intact, the search operation has been challenging due to darkness inside the premises, making it difficult for the team to work efficiently away from windows, as Cheng explained to reporters while clad in coveralls with safety gear nearby.
Out of the seven blocks, the team has so far inspected four, with the latest searches revealing an additional 30 bodies, including 12 previously located by firefighters but not yet recovered, reported Tsang Shuk-yin, head of the Hong Kong police casualty unit.
A fire spread across multiple highrise buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and leaving others trapped inside, authorities said.
Other projects by same builder are halted
Authorities in Hong Kong have ordered the immediate suspension of work on 28 building projects managed by Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, the same contractor responsible for the Wang Fuk Court fire, for safety assessments.
“The fire incident at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po, exposed serious safety management flaws of PC&E, including improper use of foam boards to block windows during construction work,” stated the government.
The company remained silent in response to inquiries on Sunday.
Following the fire outbreak, three individuals, including the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, were apprehended on suspicion of manslaughter. Police hinted at potential gross negligence by the company’s top leadership, without disclosing the firm’s name.
Although the three were initially released on bail, they were later re-arrested by Hong Kong’s anti-corruption authorities, who also apprehended eight more suspects, including scaffolding subcontractors, engineering consultants, and renovation project managers.
Faulty fire alarms, foam panels under investigation
The residential complex in Tai Po, consisting of eight 31-storey buildings near Hong Kong’s border with mainland China, was constructed in the 1980s, housing around 2,000 apartments and over 4,600 residents.
Many of the affected residents have been relocated to temporary shelters or city hotels, with authorities strategizing long-term arrangements.
“It’s truly heart-wrenching,” expressed Jeffery Chan, a civil servant paying his respects on the scene. “As a Hong Kong resident, witnessing fellow citizens lose their loved ones and belongings in a single