Hong Kong apartment fire toll hits 159, 31 people still missing

The death toll in Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades hit 159 on Wednesday, with police revealing that victims included an infant and a 97-year-old as they continued their search for remains in the scorched apartment complex.

Residents forced to flee the only block of the eight not engulfed in flames a week ago returned briefly to their homes to retrieve belongings, as hundreds of others housed in temporary accommodation struggled to rebuild their lives.

Meanwhile, investigators uncovered more bodies in the ruins, some of which have been found on rooftops and stairwells and others reduced to nothing more than ashes, authorities said.

INVESTIGATIONS INTO CAUSE OF FIRE, POSSIBLE GRAFT

Of the 159 bodies found, 140 have been identified. They comprise 91 females and 49 males, aged between one and 97 years.

Foreign domestic helpers from Indonesia and the Philippines are among 31 people still missing.

"We really want, if there are any bodies left at the scene, we can uncover them as soon as possible so that the surviving family, they can pay a final goodbye," Police Commissioner Chow Yat-ming told a press conference.

Police have arrested 21 suspects for manslaughter in a probe into the cause of the fire, while Hong Kong's anti-corruption body is also investigating possible graft.

Amid calls for transparency and accountability, the city's leader John Lee has ordered a judge-led committee to investigate the cause of the deadly fire and review oversight of building renovations blamed for fanning the inferno.

Residents of Wang Fuk Court were told by authorities last year they faced "relatively low fire risks" after they complained about fire hazards posed by the renovations, the city's Labour Department said.

Authorities have pointed to substandard plastic mesh and insulation foam used during renovation work at the high-rise estate for fuelling the blaze.

CITY TO PRESS AHEAD WITH ELECTION

The government will also press ahead with a "patriots only" legislative election scheduled for Sunday, despite doubts over turnout from a local population still reeling from the disaster.

The vote is seen by some analysts and residents as a test of legitimacy for the Hong Kong government as it tries to appease public anger over the fire amid an ongoing national security crackdown.

"Honestly, it's infuriating. I think it lacks respect," said Trent Heung, a 37-year-old mourner who travelled to lay flowers at the disaster site before work. "Everyone is still mourning and I really don't think anything else should be first priority except paying tribute and making sure all the victims and affected people are well taken care of."

At least two people, including former pro-democracy district councillor Kenneth Cheung and a student who launched a public petition demanding an independent probe into the fire, have been detained by police since Saturday, two sources said. Both have now been released on bail.

China on Wednesday reiterated a warning against any efforts to use the disaster to "plunge Hong Kong back into the chaos" of 2019, when massive pro-democracy protests challenged Beijing and triggered a political crisis.

DISPLACED RESIDENTS STRUGGLE TO MOVE ON

Carrying suitcases and bags, inhabitants of the only block in the complex not destroyed by the 40-hour inferno were escorted to their homes and given a 90-minute window to pack up possessions on Wednesday.

"My whole life is there," said a 60-year-old woman surnamed Lam, who was laden with empty bags, waiting for her daughter to help her pack up essentials from her apartment.

Authorities have not said when the unaffected building will reopen as they collect evidence in the criminal probe.

More than 2,600 residents have been put in temporary accommodation, the government said, with 1,013 staying in hostels, camps or hotel rooms. Another 1,607 residents have moved into transitional housing units.