At least 128 people have died in a devastating fire that engulfed multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong.
A further 79 people have been injured in the city’s deadliest blaze in more than 70 years, which occurred in the northerly suburb of Tai Po, while dozens remain missing.
The tower blocks had been undergoing renovations when the fire began. The cause of the blaze remains unclear but officials said on Friday that Styrofoam placed on the outside of the windows facilitated its rapid spread.
Three people overseeing the renovations are under arrest for manslaughter, and authorities have launched a corruption inquiry.
Bringing the fire – which spread across seven of Wang Fuk Court’s eight apartment blocks – under control involved more than 2,311 firefighters.
Firefighting efforts have now ceased. The fire was fully extinguished by 10:18 local time (02:18 GMT) on Friday, the fire department said in a news conference.
It also said 89 bodies have yet to be identified, and 16 bodies remain inside the buildings.
Authorities said police will begin entering the Wang Fuk Court buildings on Friday to start gathering evidence, and that an investigation will take place over the next three to four weeks.
Meanwhile, crowds have been gathering at a nearby community hall that has been opened to families looking for missing loved ones. Relatives are being asked to help with the identification process by bringing in family photos.
The Hong Kong government has also set up shelters and support centres for displaced residents. Groups of volunteers have been packing and organising supplies for those affected, including clothing and hygiene products.
The blaze started at 14:51 local time (06:51 GMT) on Wednesday, and by 18:22 local time it had been upgraded to the most serious category by fire officials.
The fire department said the fire started at a lower level before moving upwards, and reached a peak temperature of 500C (932F).
As a result, the blaze reignited in some places after being doused, they said.
One former resident, who moved out earlier this year and only gave his surname, told the BBC: “There was nothing we could do. Together we watched our homes burn gradually.”
The fire spread quickly across the separate blocks due to the presence of flammable netting and other materials on the outside of the buildings.
Firefighter Ho Wai-ho, 37, has been identified as among those killed. He was found collapsed at the scene on Wednesday, about 30 minutes after contact with him was lost.
Twelve other firefighters have also been injured, authorities said.
Two Indonesian nationals who had been working on the buildings were also killed in the fire, a migrant charity said. Indonesian and Filipino workers are among those still unaccounted for.
Indonesian worker Fita had been inside the building with her employer when she heard the fire brigade siren. She described it as scary and confusing, but added that she felt “so grateful” to be safe.
“But I’m concerned about friends I know… Usually we talk, and then I haven’t met them [since the fire],” she told news agency Reuters.
Many of those in the shelters have been unwilling to speak to the media while reeling from the trauma.
Shock has quickly shifted to anger in Hong Kong, as questions grow on who should be held accountable for the blaze.
Several residents have said they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire broke out. Hong Kong’s fire service found that fire alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.
Meanwhile, one resident told the BBC that some of the alarms had been turned off by construction workers.
Reports of residents’ prior complaints over high renovation fees and whether the materials used complied with fire-safety regulations have also resurfaced and are circulating widely online.
“We have reason to believe that those in charge at the company were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” a police spokesperson said.
Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for around 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.
Nearly 40% of its residents are estimated to be at least 65 years old. Some have lived in the subsidised housing estate since it was built.
Hong Kong’s deadliest fire on record killed 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse.
Additional reporting by Martin Yip and Gemini Cheng in Hong Kong
