The death toll rose to 159 after all towers were searched

“We have found 159 bodies, 140 of which have been tentatively identified,” Police Commissioner Joe Zhao said at a press conference. He described the balance sheet as a “temporary summary” following the end of searches at the complex.

He said the number may be revised because agents found “what appear to be human bones” that require forensic examination.

Last Wednesday’s fire at the Wang Fook Court complex in the northern district of Tai Po was the deadliest in an apartment building in the world since 1980.

Among the deceased were at least 91 women and 49 men. Zhao added that the youngest victim is a one-year-old child and the oldest is 97 years old.

Authorities say the fire spread quickly through plastic netting covering bamboo scaffolding installed for renovation work that did not meet fire resistance standards.

On Tuesday, the Hong Kong government announced the formation of an “independent committee” headed by a judge to investigate the causes of the tragedy. Fifteen people were arrested and charged with manslaughter.

“I will form an independent committee to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth review and reform of the construction system and prevent similar tragedies in the future,” Lee said at a press conference.

So far, the Hong Kong Anti-Corruption Commission and the police, which are conducting a joint investigation into the fire, have announced the arrest of 15 people suspected of manslaughter over the fire at the Wang Fook Court complex in Tai Po District.

• reaction: Hong Kong will replace bamboo scaffolding with steel structures across the city, the administration minister said

Hong Kong has a legal mechanism to establish “investigation committees”, previously headed by judges, to coordinate complex investigative tasks, a practice inherited from British colonial rule.

Lee told AFP that authorities had identified several shortcomings and that changes were needed in safety, supervision, construction and maintenance standards.

He told me that the perpetrators tried to mix bad networks with approved networks to deceive inspection bodies and security forces.

The city, shaken by the tragedy, honored the victims during a three-day period of mourning. Thousands of people left flowers and notes demanding that the perpetrators be held accountable. The local press reported that a number of people who requested clarifications about the tragedy were arrested.

Miles Cowan, a 24-year-old student, was allegedly arrested by police on charges of “inflammatory intent” after distributing leaflets calling for the government to be held accountable for the tragedy.

An online petition containing Kwan’s four demands, including a call for an independent investigation, collected more than 10,000 signatures in less than a day, before its contents were deleted.

• Flammable materials: Authorities were alerted to safety violations more than a year before the Hong Kong fire

An AFP reporter monitored the moment Kwan left the Cheung Sha Wan District Police Station on Monday in a taxi, but was unable to obtain any comment. According to local press, two other people, including former council member Kenneth Cheung, were also arrested.

On Monday, Cheung said on Facebook that he “returned home after paying bail.” When asked about the arrests, Lee told AFP: “I will not tolerate any crime, especially those who take advantage of the tragedy we are going through.” “Some people with ulterior motives (are trying) to endanger Hong Kong’s security and China’s national security. Therefore, we must take appropriate measures, including police measures,” he added, without revealing further details.

Hong Kong, which transitioned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, has seen Beijing’s control consolidated through a strict national security law passed in 2020 in response to pro-democracy demonstrations.

Last year, the sedition law increased the penalty to seven years. Since the beginning of November, authorities in the financial center have arrested 348 people for committing various crimes related to national security and issued sentences against 172 of them.