The death toll from the Hong Kong apartment complex fire that began on Wednesday has risen to 128, with as many as 200 people still missing, officials have confirmed. Rescue operations have been declared over after firefighters spent days combing through the high-rises in one of the city's deadliest blazes.
Authorities have recovered 108 bodies from the buildings, with 16 still inside, while four people died of their injuries in hospital. A further 79 people, including 11 firefighters, were injured. The head of fire services, Andy Yeung, confirmed that no fire alarms went off in any of the eight towers, prompting enforcement actions against the responsible contractors.
The fire, which began on Wednesday afternoon, spread quickly through the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po. The eight-tower estate, housing more than 4,600 people, was undergoing renovations and was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh. Officials believe highly flammable polystyrene foam discovered in every elevator window was the primary cause of the fire's intensity.
Hong Kong's anti-corruption watchdog arrested eight people, including engineering consultants, scaffolding construction contractors, and a middleman. Three other construction executives have already been detained. The labour department revealed that the building contractor had been repeatedly reminded to take fire prevention measures after inspections over the last year revealed unsafe practices.
Most of the dead were found in two of the seven towers that caught fire, while most survivors were pulled from the others. Many residents remain unaccounted for, and families are anxiously awaiting news. One resident, Mr Lau, sobbed as he told reporters he had no information about his missing parents, saying he just wanted to know if they were alive or dead.
