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Hong Kong Apartment Fire Toll Hits 159 as Police Arrest Suspects Over Disabled Alarms

Officials cite substandard renovation materials as accelerants, prompting a judge-led inquiry.

Overview

  • Police said interior searches of the seven affected towers are complete, with recovery of remains and forensic work continuing.
  • Six additional suspects were arrested over alleged fire-alarm deactivations and equipment irregularities, bringing detentions across the negligence and corruption probes to at least 21.
  • Investigators reported that multiple scaffold nets failed fire-safety tests and that foam panels aided the blaze’s vertical spread, prompting broad checks on renovation sites.
  • The government has launched an independent commission led by a judge to determine causes, assign accountability, and propose systemic reforms to building-renovation oversight.
  • Security officers detained several activists under sedition provisions after calls for accountability, as authorities reported roughly 2,500 residents in temporary housing and dozens still hospitalized.