Have Any Remains Been Discovered After the Fire at Two Residential Buildings in Hong Kong?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong has resulted in 128 fatalities.
- No remains were found in the searched buildings.
- Financial aid for victims totals 1.1 billion Hong Kong dollars.
- The investigation will take three to four weeks.
- Corruption tied to renovations is under investigation by the ICAC.
Hong Kong, Nov 29 (NationPress) The police in Hong Kong reported on Saturday that no remains were uncovered following the examination of two out of the seven buildings affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court.
As of now, the financial support allocated for fire relief has reached 1.1 billion Hong Kong dollars (approximately 141.3 million US dollars), with 800 million Hong Kong dollars sourced from donations and 300 million Hong Kong dollars from government grants, disclosed Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, during a press briefing on Saturday.
By 3 PM local time on Saturday, the tragic incident had resulted in 128 fatalities and 83 injuries, with 144 previously reported missing individuals now confirmed safe, as stated by the Hong Kong police, according to Xinhua news agency.
The Hong Kong Police Force committed to thorough evidence gathering and investigation regarding the fire incident at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a process anticipated to span three to four weeks.
"It appears the fire originated from the lower-level perimeter nets of Wang Cheong House, igniting foam boards and rapidly spreading to adjacent buildings. The resulting chaos shattered glass, intensified the fire, and allowed flames to engulf interiors, culminating in a disaster marked by widespread simultaneous ignition. The extreme heat compromised bamboo scaffolding, leading to falling burning debris that further ignited other scaffolding materials," explained Chris Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, during the press conference.
Furthermore, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong announced on Friday that a dedicated task force has been established to investigate potential corruption linked to a significant renovation project at the fire-affected Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
The anti-corruption agency revealed that eight individuals were sequentially arrested that day.
The detainees, aged between 40 and 63, include seven men and one woman. Among them are four individuals affiliated with the consulting firm overseeing the grand renovation project, specifically two directors and two project managers. Additionally, three others are subcontractors responsible for scaffolding, including a couple who own a company, with the final arrestee being a middleman.
On Friday, ICAC officers executed search warrants at 13 different locations, including the offices of the consulting firm and subcontractors, along with the residences of the individuals arrested. They seized pertinent work documents and bank records.
The investigation remains in progress, with all detainees held by the ICAC for further questioning.