The death toll from a residential complex fire in Hong Kong rose to 159 people on Wednesday, while authorities arrested six people on suspicion of disconnecting some fire alarms during the maintenance process for the complex.
Police said that the youngest person to die in the fire was a one-year-old child, while the oldest person was 97 years old.
The police said that they had completed the search for bodies inside all seven residential towers destroyed by the fire that broke out a week ago and firefighters needed 40 hours to extinguish it. About 30 people are still missing.
“We are not finished with our work yet,” Police Commissioner Joe Chu told reporters, adding that officials had found human bones in different apartments and would conduct DNA testing to try to identify them.
Hong Kong announced yesterday, Tuesday, that it would form an independent investigation committee headed by a judge to determine the cause of the deadly fire that shocked the city, and to make recommendations to prevent a similar tragedy. John Lee, the chief executive of the Chinese territory, pledged to transcend personal interests and pursue those responsible for the fire.
“We must uncover the truth, ensure justice, let the dead go in peace, and provide comfort to the living,” he told reporters during a 30-minute weekly appearance that focused entirely on the fire.
The fire started in the scaffolding installed around the Wang Fook Court maintenance complex, and spread to seven of the eight towers, which were home to more than 4,600 people, many of whom were left homeless. The initial investigation focused on why the fire spread so quickly, preventing fire crews from being able to control it. Authorities pointed to both the high winds and substandard materials used in the maintenance work, namely highly flammable foam panels used to cover the windows and green mesh, which is supposed to be flame-resistant, And hanging around the scaffolding.
Lee said officials mixed substandard mesh with substandard mesh “in order to fool the inspection.” Police and anti-corruption authorities in the city had already detained 14 people, including managers and an engineering consultant for a construction company, and 13 of them were arrested on charges of manslaughter.
