The death toll from the fire that destroyed a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong has risen to 146 people, Tsang Shuk-yin, a police representative, said on Sunday. The figure was updated after examining three more of the eight towers that make up the Wang Fook Court residential complex, in the Tai Po area. Some bodies were found on roofs and in stairs as residents tried to escape.
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According to police, more than 40 people are still considered missing, and Chuk Yin said he “has not ruled out the possibility of more deaths,” while police continue to search the scene. In honor of the victims, more than a thousand people came to the banks of a canal near the residential complex to lay white flowers and some notes. Hong Kong began a three-day mourning period on Saturday.
-I can’t accept this. Young Joey Young (28 years old) told Reuters: “I came today with my father and family to lay flowers.” – I don’t ask for anything in return, but at least justice for the families of the deceased, and for those who are still alive.
Many citizens remain angry that warnings about the risks and potential violations highlighted in construction were ignored. The press reported that the police arrested a young man named Miles Cowan, aged 24, and did not comment on the arrest.
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Kwan was reportedly arrested on suspicion of sedition after organizing an online petition that had garnered more than ten thousand signatures as of Saturday afternoon calling for the government to be held accountable, an independent investigation into possible corruption, a building control review and the appropriate relocation of residents.
A second petition was submitted by a former resident of Tai Po, who is currently living abroad. “The government owes the citizens of Hong Kong real and frank accountability,” it said. As of Sunday, the document has already obtained 2,700 signatures.
The fire, the deadliest in the world since 1980, broke out on Wednesday afternoon for reasons that are still unknown. Police speculate that the fire started in the protective nets covering the complex’s renovations, which are used to protect residents from dust and possible falling objects.
The fire quickly spread to other towers, which, according to initial hypotheses, favored the nets, foam boards and bamboo scaffolding used in Hong Kong, rather than metal scaffolding. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and 11 people have been arrested. Authorities are investigating possible corruption and the use of unsafe materials during the renovation of the complex.
Fire Chief Andy Young revealed that the alarm systems in the eight buildings were “malfunctioning” and promised to take the necessary measures.
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog said “consultants, scaffolding subcontractors and a project broker” were among eight people arrested on Friday as rescue operations concluded. On Thursday, three men had already been arrested on suspicion of leaving foam containers at the scene of the fire.
On Saturday, the chief executive of the semi-autonomous region, John Lee, and senior officials observed a minute of silence at 8 a.m. local time, Saturday, in front of the government headquarters, where the Chinese and Hong Kong flags were flown at half-mast due to the tragedy.
Dozens of people remained in hospital on Saturday, 11 of them in critical condition and 21 in serious condition. AFP journalists watched rescuers recover bodies from the charred rubble of Wang Phuc Court, while vehicles unloaded bodies at a nearby morgue.
The government enabled the public to sign condolence books. People visited hospitals and victim identification centers in the hope of finding their family members, as 89 bodies had not been identified. Faced with a desperate search for families, the government reported that police had activated a special disaster victim identification system to locate missing persons.
The government reported that about 800 people had received temporary shelter, and had already announced the allocation of US$38.5 million (about R$205 million) in aid.
Crowds affected by the tragedy moved to support those affected. Stations providing clothes, food, and household supplies were set up in a square near the charred towers, in addition to cabins providing medical and psychological care. The organizers reported that the number of donations received was already sufficient.