The number of deaths recorded from the deadly apartment complex blaze that broke out in Hong Kong last Wednesday has reached 151, authorities said on Monday.
Officials also said Monday that an investigation had shown that netting around scaffolding proved not to meet fire-safety code.
What do we know about the netting on the Hong Kong apartments?
Wednesday’s fire at the Wang Fuk Court complex broke out on the netting around the lower levels of one of the buildings before spreading to foam panels that quickly caught fire.
Winds then blew the flames onto the other buildings, with seven out of eight buildings affected. It took until Friday for the fire to be fully extinguished.
Tests on the netting had showed it to be up to code, but further tests from other parts of the building, especially in hard-to-reach areas, were found to be of substandard materials, failing the safety tests.
Eric Chan, Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary, blamed contractors for skimping on materials to make greater profits.
“They just wanted to make money at the expense of people’s lives,” he told reporters.
Residents had complained about netting
Police continue to sweep the area of the blaze, with more than 40 people still missing. Some 4,600 people had been living in the complex.
“Some of the bodies have turned into ash, therefore we might not be able to locate all missing individuals,” Tsung Shuk Yin, a police official told reporters on Monday.
Amy Lan, a senior police official, said on Sunday the final part of the search may take weeks with the remaining buildings that need to be scoured being “the difficult ones.”
Residents of the complex had complained last year of the netting used by the contractors to cover the scaffolding while renovation was underway. They were told by authorities that there were “relatively low fire risks.”
The Chinese government has warned against “anti-China” protests in the wake of the blaze. Legislative elections are due to be held in the city over the weekend.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
