Hong Kong firefighters made a grim discovery on Friday as they uncovered additional bodies during a meticulous search of a high-rise complex devastated by a massive fire that consumed seven buildings. The death toll from one of the deadliest blazes in the city climbed to 128, with many individuals still missing.
According to Andy Yeung, the director of Hong Kong Fire Services, it was revealed that some fire alarms in the complex did not activate during testing, particularly in a building with many elderly residents. The fire rapidly spread from one building to the next, fueled by bamboo scaffolding covered in netting and foam panels installed during renovations.
Authorities apprehended eight more individuals on Friday, aged between 40 and 63, including scaffolding subcontractors, engineering consultant company directors, and project managers overseeing the renovation, as reported by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Derek Armstrong Chan, a deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services, mentioned that emergency calls from specific apartments were prioritized during the firefighting efforts. However, due to the blaze’s intensity, some areas could not be reached until the fire was brought under control after almost 24 hours, finally being fully extinguished on Friday morning.
Smoke continued to emanate from the buildings two days after the fire broke out, with approximately 200 people still unaccounted for, including 89 unidentified bodies. The search for survivors trapped inside the buildings has concluded, with the possibility of additional bodies being recovered.
The tragic incident affected a diverse group of residents, including Katy Lo, a 70-year-old resident of Wang Fuk Court, who returned home to witness the fire engulfing her building. The casualties also included two Indonesian migrant workers, with 11 others from Indonesia, who worked as domestic helpers in the complex, still missing.
The apartment complex, consisting of eight 31-story buildings in the Tai Po district, was undergoing extensive renovations and housed nearly 4,800 residents. Three individuals associated with a construction company were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, with concerns raised over the fire resistance standards of the building materials.
Police investigations revealed the use of flammable plastic foam panels installed by the construction company, contributing to the rapid spread of the fire. Immediate inspections of similar housing complexes undergoing renovations were planned to ensure compliance with safety standards.
The devastating fire in Hong Kong is considered the deadliest in decades, surpassing previous tragic incidents in the city’s history. As the community mourns the loss of lives, flags across the city will be lowered to half-mast, and a three-minute silence will be observed in honor of the victims.