Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 146 as thousands pay respects

BBC:

At least 146 people are known to have died in a devastating fire that tore through multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong.

Police announced the death toll in a news conference on Sunday, cautioning that they “cannot rule out the possibility of further fatalities”. A further 79 are injured and 150 remain missing, they said.

Seven of eight tower blocks in a housing in the northerly Tai Po district rapidly went up in flames on Wednesday. Accusations the fire was helped by flammable materials on the outside of the buildings has sparked anger and concern.

Thousands are gathering at the Wang Fuk Court complex on Sunday to mourn the victims, with queues stretching to almost 2km.

The death toll has been rising since the fire began, as officials work to recover and identify bodies.

The exact cause of the blaze has yet to be determined. Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of corruption over the renovations that had been taking place on the towers, while three others were detained on manslaughter charges.

The fire – which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks – was only fully doused by Friday morning, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.

The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the investigation could take three to four weeks.

Police official Tsang Shuk-yin said on Sunday that officers had so far completed searches of four of the tower blocks.

Indonesia’s consulate in Hong Kong said at least seven of its nationals had died from the fire, while the Philippines’ consulate said one of its citizens had.

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.