The Hong Kong Highrise did not meet the code, officials said, with a death toll of 151
Listen to this article
Approximately 5 minutes
The audio version of this article is produced by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.
Hong Kong authorities said on Monday that their investigation into the deaths of at least 151 people has revealed some of the funds used for financial restructuring, as the government seeks to move forward with government reforms to avoid criticism.
The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday but took until Friday to fully extinguish, started on the ground floor of the low-level cover and then flooded inside as the foam panels placed on top of the fire-bound Windows hit the glass. The winds carried the flames from building to building, all covered, seven of seven.
The first test of the Networch was shown in the code, but after that the investigators collected 20 samples from all areas, and they found high levels of security, and they found cheap contractors to make a big profit, said the Secretary General of Eric Can.
“They just wanted to make money at the expense of people’s lives,” he told reporters.
Donations to survivors of the fire had reached 900 million Hong Kong dollars ($161 million CDN) as of Monday, authorities said, as many people placed flowers, cards and other tributes at the rest of the buildings near the burned building block.
“When something happens, we come out to help each other,” said Loretta Loh, after paying her respects at the site. “I have a heavy heart.”
About 4,600 people live in the Wang Fuk court complex, in the Tai Po suburb.
Emergency personnel from the Hong Kong Police Force Offer Forces quickly cleared five of the burned buildings, but only half of the progress was made, said Tsang Shuk-Yin, head of the police casualty investigation. Crews were checking the safety of other buildings, including the one that caught fire first and suffered the most damage.
On Monday, they recovered eight more bodies, including three that firefighters had previously found but were unable to retrieve. Many people remain unaccounted for, but others may be among the 39 bodies that have yet to be identified, Tsang said.
“We will have to wait until we get to all seven blocks before we can make a final report,” he said.
Private donations and 300 million Hong Kong dollars ($53.9 million CDN) in funds from the government will be used to help victims rebuild their homes and provide long-term support, local officials said. The government has also provided survivors with funding to help with expenses, including funerals, and is working to help them find housing.
On Monday, 683 residents found places in hotels and hostels, while another 1,144 moved into shelters. Two emergency shelters remain open for others, authorities said.
Residents have complained for nearly a year about the construction of the four, Hong Kong’s Ministry of Labor said. It confirmed that the officials had carried out 16 inspections of the reconstruction project since July 20 2024 and warned the contractors repeatedly in writing that they must meet the fire safety requirements. The last inspection was a week before the fire.
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption authorities and police arrested 14 people, including directors and an engineering consultant for the construction company, according to Chris Tang, security secretary.
Petation Starter, others were arrested
More and more people have been questioning whether government officials should also be held responsible, but the leeway for dissent has been limited to the former British colony, which came under Chinese public administration in 1997 and has moved to quiet public criticism on national security grounds.
Opposition to the city has been exhausted since hundreds of thousands took to the streets in 2019 against the government’s strategy to allow the extraction of Chinese land. Hong Kong is now almost engulfed in massive protests and political opposition barricades in the run-up to legislative elections.
The death toll continues to rise after a massive fire ripped through an apartment building in Hong Kong last week. When Janetlla Hamilton reports, British Columbians with connections to Hong Kong gathered to honor those who died and many were still missing.
On Saturday, the national security defense office blasted what it called “evil plans” that were aimed at using the crisis to create trouble and disrupt Hong Kong. ” It did not provide details.
A man who helped organize an online petition to respond to the government was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of treason, local sources including HK01 and Tao daily sing. Two others were arrested on Sunday, including a volunteer who provided aid in Tai Po after the fire broke out, the same outlets reported.
The police would not comment directly on the arrest, telling the press only that “the police will take action according to the actual circumstances and in accordance with the law.”
