Officials also said Monday that an investigation showed that netting around the scaffolding did not meet fire-safety codes.
What do we know about the mesh on the Hong Kong apartment?
The fire at the Wang Phuc Court complex on Wednesday started on mesh around the lower level of a building and then spread to the foam panels, which caught fire immediately.
After this, due to wind, the flames reached other buildings, affecting seven out of eight buildings. It took until Friday to completely extinguish the fire.
Tests on the netting showed that it was up to code, but tests conducted in other parts of the building, particularly in inaccessible areas, found substandard material, which failed safety tests.
Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Eric Chan blamed contractors for skimping on materials to make more profits.
“They just wanted to make money at the cost of people’s lives,” he told reporters.
Residents had complained about setting traps
Police continue to search the area of the fire, with more than 40 people still missing. About 4,600 people were living in the complex.
“Some of the bodies have turned into ashes, so we will not be able to locate all the missing persons,” Tsung Shuk Yin, a police officer, told reporters on Monday.
Amy Lan, a senior police officer, said on Sunday that the final part of the search could take weeks because the remaining buildings are “difficult” and need to be combed through.
Residents of the complex had complained about the mesh used by contractors to cover the scaffolding during renovation work last year. Officials told them the “risk of fire is relatively low.”
The Chinese government has warned against “anti-China” protests in the wake of the fire. Assembly elections are to be held in the city over the weekend.
Edited by: Elisabeth Schumacher
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