Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Hong Kong Fire Toll Reaches 160 as Police Launch Next Search Phase

Officials plan scaffold removal to continue searches.

Overview

  • Police said six people remain unaccounted for, with 120 victims identified and 40 pending DNA verification.
  • The count rose after forensic testing showed one set of remains contained two people, an elderly resident and her domestic helper.
  • Investigators cited substandard scaffolding netting, polystyrene foam boards on windows, and non-functioning alarms as key drivers of the blaze’s spread.
  • Authorities have arrested 15 construction staff on suspicion of manslaughter and six people tied to fire-system work on suspicion of fraud, and a judge-led committee is examining procurement and safety oversight.
  • Chinese security authorities warned of “external hostile forces” exploiting public backlash, and the government ordered emergency removal of mesh from about 200 buildings.