Authorities arrest 8 in devastating Hong Kong apartment complex fire

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Anti-corruption investigators in Hong Kong said eight people are now in police custody following the devastating fires at an apartment complex that has claimed more than 100 lives.

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The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced the arrests of seven men and one woman between the ages of 40 and 63 as officials continue to probe how the blazes started, reports the South China Morning Post.

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Investigators said those arrested include two directors of a construction consultancy firm, two project managers at an architect firm overseeing renovation work, three subcontracted for the scaffolding used at the buildings — including a couple who own the company, and the other was a middleman.

ICAC said its officers obtained warrants to search 13 premises related to the arrested individuals.

Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang said the death toll from the infernos now stands at 128, warning that more victims may still be found inside the charred units.

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“We do not rule out the possibility that more bodies will be found when police officers enter the buildings to conduct an investigation and collect evidence,” Tang said in Cantonese, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.

Tang said 108 bodies were located inside the seven buildings and added around 200 residents are still listed as missing. An eighth building was unharmed.

Officials have been able to identify 39 victims so far.

About 40 bodies “were found inside residential units, which we believe could be identified later,” Tang said. “The other 40-odd bodies may require more time for identification.”

A total of 79 people were also injured in the fires that engulfed the Wang Fuk Court and Kwong Fuk Estate public housing complexes in the city’s Tai Po district.

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Bamboo scaffolding and Styrofoam insulation eyed

The infernos began as one fire Wednesday afternoon before it spread to neighbouring buildings. Authorities blame bamboo scaffolding and green mesh used during renovations for the out-of-control blazes.

Styrofoam insulation used around windows is also a contributing factor to the infernos, authorities said.

“Within a short period, a large-scale blaze occurred both inside the buildings and outside, leading to the tragedy,” Tang said.

Hong Kong’s fire chief Andy Yeung said fire alarms at all eight apartments were not functioning when the department ran its tests following the blazes, confirming reports from many residents didn’t hear any alerts inside the buildings, the South China Morning Post reported.

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Chris Sun, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Labour and Welfare, said 16 inspections were conducted, mainly on occupational safety and health.

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Of those inspections, six notices for improvement were issued and three for safety issues related to working at height.

Among the dead and missing are domestic workers from Indonesia and the Philippines, the city’s head of the Labour Department said.

The Indonesian consulate has confirmed two deaths and another is unconfirmed, Sun said. In addition, two were injured and 11 others are missing.

According to the Philippine consulate, one death has been unverified, one person was injured and another is missing.

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