Apartment Fire in Hong Kong Tamed, Increasing Casualty Count

The grim death toll from a devastating apartment fire in Hong Kong has risen to 128 as more bodies are discovered within the scorched buildings. Security Secretary Chris Tang, speaking from the scene, indicated that authorities continue to search for victims and anticipate that the number of fatalities could increase further.

The fire erupted at the Wang Fuk Court complex on Wednesday afternoon, and it wasn’t completely extinguished until Friday morning. This catastrophe left numerous individuals, including emergency responders, injured.

Firefighters are conducting a meticulous room-by-room search through the towering structure, still hoping to locate survivors in what has become one of the most lethal fires in the city's history, which engulfed seven out of eight residential buildings in the complex.

Fire service teams were especially focused on areas from which they had received over 25 unresponded distress calls, areas they couldn't access earlier due to the intense flames, according to Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of the Hong Kong Fire Services.

"The operation to control the fire is almost concluded," Chan said.

Originating in one tower of the Wang Fuk Court, the blaze quickly spread to adjacent buildings, fueled by bamboo scaffolding wrapped in netting used for renovation, resulting in all seven towers being consumed by fire.

Over 1,000 firefighters labored tirelessly around the clock for a day to subdue the five-alarm fire. Even after it was under control, sporadic smoke emissions persisted from the charred remains of the towers.

Authorities expected to conclude the final inspection on Friday, after which they would officially declare the closure of the rescue phase in the Tai Po district, located near Hong Kong's boundary with mainland China.

The exact number of individuals in the structures remains uncertain, as the buildings housed nearly 2,000 apartments with about 4,800 inhabitants. As of early Thursday, Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee noted that contact with 279 residents had yet to be established.

Chan stated, "We aim to access every apartment in the affected seven blocks to ensure no additional casualties are overlooked."

Arrests Triggered by Investigation into Devastating Fire

The residence primarily accommodated older adults and, having been constructed in the 1980s, was undergoing extensive renovations. On Thursday, Hong Kong’s anti-corruption authorities announced an inquiry into potential malpractice associated with the renovation.

Police detained three individuals: two directors and one engineering consultant from a construction firm, charging them with manslaughter amidst suspicions of severe negligence. The company implicated is Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, overseeing the building renovations.

Investigators collected documents from the company’s office following allegations that non-compliant materials contributed to the fast dissemination of flames. Further inquiries revealed malfunctioning fire alarms in some structures.

Interim findings disclosed that plastic foam panels, typically flammable, were affixed to windows adjacent to elevators in the only untouched tower. These installations, believed to be by the construction firm, are under scrutiny for their intended purpose.

In response, immediate checks are planned for similar residential complexes undergoing renovations, to verify compliance of scaffolding and materials with safety standards.

This blaze has recorded the highest death toll in decades following a 1996 fire in Kowloon that claimed 41 lives.