A 1-year-old was among 159 killed in Hong Kong apartment fires. 30 others remain missing

The death toll from a devastating high-rise apartment fire in Hong Kong has climbed to 159, officials confirmed Wednesday, making it one of the deadliest building fires in the city’s history. Authorities have arrested six individuals suspected of deactivating fire alarms during maintenance work at the residential complex.

Police reports indicate victims range from a 1-year-old infant to a 97-year-old resident, highlighting the fire’s indiscriminate impact across generations. The blaze, which erupted last Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court in the northern suburban district of Tai Po, took firefighters until Friday to fully extinguish.

“We have not finished our work yet,” Commissioner of Police Joe Chow told reporters during a press briefing. He noted that investigators had discovered suspected human remains in various apartments throughout the complex and would conduct DNA testing to identify them. Approximately 30 people remain unaccounted for as search efforts continue.

Rescue teams are still combing through piles of collapsed bamboo scaffolding to determine if additional victims might be buried beneath the debris. Of the 159 confirmed deaths, nineteen bodies remain unidentified. The casualties include nine Indonesian and one Filipino domestic worker, as well as a firefighter who perished while responding to the emergency.

The housing complex was undergoing extensive renovations at the time of the fire, with buildings covered in bamboo scaffolding and green netting. Investigators have identified substandard materials as a significant factor in the rapid spread of the flames. The plastic nylon netting covering the scaffolding and foam boards installed on windows apparently created ideal conditions for the fire to advance quickly between floors and buildings.

In response to these findings, Hong Kong officials announced a city-wide removal of all external scaffolding nets from ongoing renovation projects. These materials will require rigorous testing and certification before they can be reinstalled on any construction site, marking a significant regulatory change for Hong Kong’s construction industry.

The investigation has expanded to include potential corruption and negligence related to the renovation work. Police and Hong Kong’s anti-corruption body have arrested a total of 15 people in connection with the disaster. Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, confirmed that authorities are investigating the Binzhou Inspection and Testing Center in mainland China, which provided safety inspection certificates for the construction materials used at Wang Fuk Court.

Adding to the tragedy, residents reported that some fire alarms failed to sound when the blaze began, potentially delaying evacuations. The six individuals arrested Wednesday are suspected of deactivating certain alarm systems during renovation work and subsequently making false representations to the fire services department about their operational status.

This catastrophe represents one of Hong Kong’s worst residential disasters in recent memory and has raised serious questions about building safety standards and regulatory oversight in the densely populated city. The special administrative region, known for its towering apartment complexes and crowded living conditions, has historically maintained relatively strict building codes.

As the investigation continues, authorities have not yet determined the initial cause of the fire. However, the focus has clearly shifted toward examining potential regulatory failures, substandard materials, and possible negligence that may have contributed to the staggering death toll.

The Wang Fuk Court tragedy has prompted calls from residents and safety experts for a comprehensive review of fire safety protocols in Hong Kong’s aging residential buildings, many of which undergo similar renovation processes each year.