Overview
- Hong Kong police, cited by CCTV, reported 160 fatalities with six people still unaccounted for after the Wang Fuk Court blaze.
- Investigators will examine bamboo scaffolding and protective mesh on the facades of seven affected buildings as searches continue.
- South China Morning Post reported the fire began and rapidly advanced along bamboo scaffolding erected for renovation work.
- Major developers urged a full smoking ban at construction sites, and authorities began removing protective netting from buildings across the city.
- In a separate case, state television said a house fire in Shantou, Guangdong, killed eight people and injured four as an investigation gets underway.