By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – The authorities in Hong Kong on Sunday said they have discovered 18 more human remains in the aftermath of the massive fire that tore through the Wang Fuk Court housing estate, raised the death toll to 146, media reported.
The blaze, Hong Kong’s deadliest in over 75 years, engulfed 7 of the complex’s residential towers over 2 days before firefighters finally extinguished it on Friday.
Shuk-yin Tsang, the head of the Hong Kong police casualty unit, told reporters at the scene that another 100 people remain unaccounted for and 79 were injured.
The police had reported 128 deaths, with families assisting in the difficult identification process, as per media reports.
Cheng Ka-chun, who leads the police victim identification unit, said search crews have combed through four buildings so far, recovering bodies from apartments and even rooftops.
He added that the unit “cannot rule out the possibility of further fatalities”, while the full search process across all burned buildings is expected to take three to four weeks.
Over 1,000 people gathered at the scene on Sunday to honor the dead. Many laid flowers or placed handwritten notes; others prayed quietly, according to media reports.
Public anger has been rising as more details emerge about longstanding safety concerns.
Residents had warned authorities about fire risks and questionable construction practices at the complex.
The buildings had been undergoing renovations since last year, and officials say bamboo scaffolding and flammable foam boards used to cover windows helped the fire spread rapidly.
Hong Kong officials announced that they had ordered the immediate suspension of work on 28 building projects undertaken by the contractor of the complex, the Prestige Construction and Engineering Company, for safety audits.
Three company officials are at least 11 people arrested in connection with the blaze, according to local authorities.
Many of the 4,600 people living in the high-rise buildings are now housed in short-term emergency shelters or city hotels, and authorities are working on longer-term solutions, it added
