40 still missing in city's worst fire in decades

Hong Kong authorities said on Monday they had detained 13 people for suspected manslaughter in a probe into the city’s deadliest fire in decades, pointing to substandard renovation materials for fuelling a blaze that has claimed at least 146 lives.

Police have completed sweeps of four of the seven towers engulfed in Wednesday’s disaster at the Wang Fuk Court estate, finding bodies of residents in stairwells and on rooftops, trapped as they tried to flee the flames.

Around 40 people are still missing.

Tests on several samples of a green mesh that was wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the blaze did not match fire retardant standards, officials overseeing the investigations told a news conference.

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Contractors working on the renovations used these substandard materials in hard-to-reach areas, effectively hiding them from inspectors, said Chief Secretary Eric Chan.

Foam insulation used by contractors also fanned the flames and fire alarms at the complex were not working properly, officials have said.

Thousands have turned out to pay tribute to the victims, who include at least nine domestic helpers from Indonesia and one from the Philippines, with lines of mourners stretching more than a kilometre along a canal next to the estate.

Vigils are also due to take place this week in Tokyo, London and Taipei, authorities said.

SEARCH MOVES TO WORST AFFECTED BUILDINGS

The remaining buildings to be scoured for remains are “the difficult ones”, Amy Lam, a senior police official, told reporters on Sunday, adding that the final leg of the search may take weeks.

Images shared by police showed officers clad in hazmat suits, face masks and helmets, inspecting rooms with blackened walls and furniture reduced to ashes, and wading through water used to douse fires that raged for days.

Throngs of officers arrived at the site early on Monday morning to continue their search of the burnt-out buildings.

The apartment blocks were home to more than 4,000 people, according to census data, and those that escaped must now try to get their lives back on track.

More than 1,100 people have been moved out of evacuation centres into temporary housing, with a further 680 put up in youth hostels and hotels, authorities said.

With many residents leaving behind belongings as they fled, authorities have offered emergency funds of HK$10,000 ($1,284) to each household and provided special assistance for issuing new identity cards, passports and marriage certificates.