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The Hong Kong Apartment Blaze continued to shock the city on Wednesday as officials confirmed the death toll rose to 159. Police intensified their investigation and arrested six additional suspects for allegedly disabling fire alarms during renovation work at the Tai Po housing complex. The Hong Kong Apartment Blaze also left at least 30 people still missing, heightening public concern about safety failures during building repairs.
Growing Toll and Ongoing Search
Police reported that the victims ranged from a 1-year-old infant to a 97-year-old elder, showing the fire’s devastating reach. Search teams cleared seven of the eight towers ravaged by the blaze, which burned from last Wednesday until firefighters extinguished it on Friday. However, Commissioner Joe Chow said teams must still sift through collapsed bamboo scaffolding to ensure no bodies remain buried beneath the debris.
Renovation Failures Under Scrutiny
The blaze erupted at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, where a months-long renovation wrapped the buildings in bamboo scaffolding and green construction netting. Officials said the substandard netting and foam window boards accelerated the fire’s spread. The joint investigation by police and the city’s anti-corruption agency led to 15 arrests on Tuesday. Authorities suspect a pattern of negligence and corruption tied to the renovation contract and safety compliance failures.
Fire Alarm Sabotage Allegations
Police arrested six suspects on Wednesday for allegedly disabling fire alarms inside the complex during maintenance. Investigators said the suspects misled the Fire Services Department about the safety status of the alarms. Residents reported that some alarms never sounded during the disaster, though the extent of the malfunction remains unclear. Officials continue to investigate whether criminal intent played a role and how much the alarm failure contributed to the rapid spread of smoke and flames.
Victims Include Migrant Workers and Firefighter
Police said 19 of the 159 bodies remain unidentified. Among the victims were ten migrant domestic workers, nine from Indonesia and one from the Philippines. One Hong Kong firefighter also died while battling the blaze, adding to the tragedy’s emotional toll. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but community grief and anger continue to deepen as more details emerge.
City Demands Accountability
Officials pledged a comprehensive review of building safety standards, particularly for high-rise renovation projects. Public pressure is escalating for stricter regulations on scaffolding, netting materials, and fire-safety protocols. As authorities search for the missing and process the arrests, Hong Kong faces one of its deadliest urban disasters in decades.
