A total 13 people have now been arrested for suspected manslaughter in relation to a massive fire that ripped through multiple Hong Kong high-rise residential buildings, which killed at least 151 people as of Monday (December 1) morning, the New York Post reports.
Authorities are still sweeping the seven buildings at the Wang Fuk Court estate where the fire took place last Wednesday (November 26) and more bodies were reportedly found in stairwells and on rooftops as residents attempted to escape the flames. More than 40 people were reported to still be missing as of Monday morning.
“Some of the bodies have turned into ash, therefore we might not be able to locate all missing individuals,” police official Tsang Shuk-yin told reporters via the New York Post.
A green mesh wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the fire was tested and ruled to not match fire-retardant standards, officials conducting the ongoing investigations confirmed during a news conference. The substandard materials were used in hard-to-reach areas by contractors during renovations, which was believed to have been done to hide the issues from inspectors, according to Chief Secretary Eric Chan. Foam insulation used by contractors was also reported to have fanned the flames, while fire alarms at the complex weren’t properly working at the time of the incident, according to officials.
Harry Cheung, 66, a resident at Block Two in one of the complexes, said he heard “a very loud noise at around 2:45 p.m.,” at which point he observed the fire in a nearby block.
“I immediately went back to pack up my things,” Cheung told Reuters. “I don’t even know how I feel right now. I’m just thinking about where I’m going to sleep tonight because I probably won’t be able to go back home.”
Tai Po is a popular suburban district in the northern part of the Sai Kung Peninsula located in the Eastern New Territories and is the third lowest population density in Hong Kong.
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