The death toll in the fire that destroyed residential buildings in the Tai Po district in Hong Kong has risen to 146 people, a police representative said on Sunday.
“At 4 p.m. (5 a.m. Brasilia time), the death toll had reached 146. We cannot rule out the possibility of more victims,” police spokeswoman Cang Shuk-yin said at a press conference.
The death toll was updated after examining three more of the eight towers that make up the Wang Fook Court residential complex in Tai Po district. Bodies were found on roofs.
The fire started on Wednesday afternoon (26) for reasons that are still unknown, apparently in the protection nets that covered the renovation works of the complex and were used to protect against dust and falling objects.
The fire quickly spread to other towers, according to early hypotheses, which was facilitated by netting, foam boards and bamboo, which is used in Hong Kong instead of metal in scaffolding.
The Hong Kong government has announced the establishment of a victim assistance fund that has already raised US$38 million in donations from entities and companies. On Friday morning local time, volunteers declined donations of clothing and supplies for the rescued victims, due to the volume of donated items.
The fire department said on Thursday (27) that it had received reports that a fire had broken out at Wang Fook Court, an apartment complex consisting of eight buildings and nearly 2,000 residential units near the Chinese autonomous region’s border with the rest of China. The complex is part of the local government’s home ownership support program and was opened in 1983.
The city’s deadliest fire to date occurred in November 1996, when flames caused by welding during interior renovations at a commercial building in the Kowloon district killed 41 people. At the time, the investigation led to extensive updates to building standards and fire safety regulations in commercial buildings, stores and homes.