Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Hong Kong High-Rise Fire Death Toll Reaches 128 as Alarm Failures and Renovation Safety Face Scrutiny

A failed alarm system is now central to the investigation, which authorities say has already led to arrests.

Overview

  • Officials report about 200 people still unaccounted for, 79 injured, and one firefighter confirmed dead.
  • Fire crews extinguished the blaze after nearly 48 hours, and engineers will assess structural safety once the towers cool.
  • Police arrested three employees linked to the renovation on suspicion of gross negligence as forensic work continues.
  • Investigators say bamboo scaffolding and combustible materials, including polystyrene, helped the fire spread rapidly across the complex.
  • The government ordered inspections of large renovation sites, signaled a shift from bamboo to steel scaffolds, and the anti-corruption agency opened a related inquiry.