Overview
- Authorities ended rescue operations on Friday and shifted to evidence collection and victim identification, with police disaster teams continuing methodical searches for remains.
- Investigators say the blaze likely started on protective netting before igniting highly flammable foam boards and bamboo scaffolding, while fire alarms in all eight towers were found malfunctioning.
- Hong Kong police and the anti-graft agency have arrested 11 people linked to the renovation, including company directors, consultants and scaffolding subcontractors, with several facing manslaughter suspicions.
- Only a fraction of the dead have been formally identified and officers are verifying the whereabouts of about 150 people still reported missing, as hospitals continue to treat dozens of injured including firefighters.
- The government has announced a HK$300 million relief fund, temporary housing and citywide safety inspections, and is weighing a phaseout of bamboo scaffolding as China orders high‑rise fire risk checks.