The death toll from a fire at a Hong Kong apartment complex has risen to 146 after investigators found more bodies in burnt-out buildings. A steady stream of people carried bouquets of flowers to a rising makeshift memorial at the site of the worst disaster in the city’s history.
On Sunday, officer-in-charge Cheng Ka-chun said the Hong Kong Police Disaster Victim Identification Unit was carefully examining the buildings of the Wang Fuk Court complex and that bodies had been found in both apartment units and rooftops.
The buildings were structurally strong, but the search was slow, Cheng told reporters, still wearing his hard hat and white covering with a respiratory mask at his side. “It is very dark inside, and because of the low lighting, it is very difficult to work, especially in places far from the windows.”
So far, the team has investigated four of the seven blocks, Cheng said.
Tsang Shuk-yin, head of the Hong Kong Police Casualty Unit, said another 30 bodies had been found in the latest searches, 12 of which had already been discovered by firefighters but had not been recovered.
Tsang said more than 100 people were missing and 79 were injured.
On Sunday, well-wishers knelt at the scene and said short prayers, or left handwritten notes among the flowers.
“This is really a warning to everyone, especially these super tall buildings,” said Lian Shuzheng, who was waiting in a line of hundreds of people to put their flowers in the growing cluster.
People have also donated supplies to those who lost everything in the fire, which started on Wednesday and took until Friday to be completely extinguished.
The cause is still to be determined. Authorities are keen to avoid any widespread public reaction following a national security law imposed by Beijing following pro-democracy protests in the city in 2019.
China’s national security officials on Saturday warned individuals against using the disaster to disrupt the city: “We strongly warn anti-China disintegrators who attempt to ‘disrupt Hong Kong through disaster’. No matter what method you use, you will definitely be held accountable and severely punished under the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Security National Security Ordinance.”
Eight buildings of the Wang Phuc Court complex in the suburb of Tai Po were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding with nylon mesh for renovation, and the windows were covered with polystyrene panels. Officials were investigating whether fire codes were violated.
Hong Kong authorities announced late Saturday that they had ordered the immediate suspension of work on 28 construction projects undertaken by a single contractor, Prestige Construction + Engineering Co., pending safety audits.
“The five-alarm fire at Wang Fuc Court, Tai Po exposed PC+E’s serious shortcomings in site safety management, including the widespread use of foam boards to block windows during building renovations,” the government said in a statement.
The company did not respond to calls for comment on Sunday.
The apartment complex of eight 31-storey buildings in Tai Po, a suburb near Hong Kong’s border with mainland China, was built in the 1980s. It contained approximately 2,000 apartments and more than 4,600 residents.
Many people are being housed in short-term emergency shelters or city hotels, and officials are working on long-term solutions.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Jeffrey Chan, a civil servant who came to pay his respects on Sunday. “As a Hong Konger, to see people where we live losing their families, losing everything overnight – if you put yourself in their shoes, it is unbearable. They need encouragement, support and help from the people of Hong Kong.”
In Beijing, the Ministry of Emergency Management announced nationwide inspections of high-rise buildings to identify and eliminate fire hazards.
“Bamboo scaffolds, non-flame-retardant safety nets… and fire fighting facilities and equipment such as fire hydrant systems, automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems will be among the main items to be inspected,” the ministry said.
The Wang Fuk Court fire is the worst fire on record in Hong Kong since a warehouse fire in 1948 killed 176 people.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report
<a href