Hong Kong authorities confirmed Wednesday that the catastrophic high-rise apartment fire has claimed 159 lives, marking one of the deadliest residential blazes in the city’s history. The tragedy has triggered multiple arrests as investigators uncover alarming safety violations during ongoing renovation work.
Police Commissioner Joe Chow announced the completion of body recovery operations across seven of the eight affected towers at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po district, though approximately 30 individuals remain unaccounted for. Search teams continue scouring collapsed bamboo scaffolding that encapsulated the buildings during a months-long renovation project.
The victims span generations, with the youngest identified as a one-year-old infant and the oldest at 97 years. Among the deceased were ten migrant domestic workers—nine from Indonesia and one from the Philippines—alongside one firefighter who perished during rescue operations.
Law enforcement officials revealed six additional arrests Wednesday, targeting individuals accused of deliberately deactivating fire alarm systems during maintenance activities. These arrests bring the total to 21 persons detained in connection with the investigation, which now encompasses allegations of corruption and criminal negligence.
Forensic analysis indicates that substandard safety materials significantly contributed to the fire’s rapid escalation. Inferior netting covering external scaffolding and flammable foam window installations created ideal conditions for the blaze to spread with unprecedented speed through the residential complex.
The conflagration, which ignited last Wednesday and required two full days to extinguish, exposed critical failures in fire safety protocols. Residents and officials confirmed that multiple alarm systems failed to activate during the initial outbreak, though the full extent of these malfunctions remains under investigation.
Authorities continue evidence collection while nineteen victims await formal identification. The precise ignition source remains undetermined as forensic teams work to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to this devastating urban tragedy.