Death toll in Hong Kong high-rise fire rises to 146; 150 residents missing.
Eight people arrested over use of inflammable and substandard renovation materials.
Nationwide fire safety inspections launched in China following the tragedy.
A massive blaze that ravaged seven high‑rise residential towers in Hong Kong has claimed 146 lives, while some 150 people remain unaccounted for, as rescue teams pressed on with search operations on the fifth day. According to PTI, authorities are investigating how the fire engulfed buildings housing nearly 4,600 residents across 1,984 apartments, and what triggered such a rapid, devastating spread.
PTI reported that eight individuals — including a woman linked to renovation work on the affected towers — have been arrested by Hong Kong’s anti‑corruption agency. They are accused of using inflammable and substandard materials believed to have contributed to the intensity of the blaze.
Local officials told state‑run Xinhua that a firefighter was among the deceased. Survivors quoted by the South China Morning Post said fire alarms in several of the buildings failed to function, leaving residents without early warning. PTI also noted that the uncertain whereabouts of 150 people remain a major concern.
In response to the tragedy, the Work Safety Committee of the State Council issued a nationwide directive on Saturday, urging local governments to immediately inspect occupied residential towers, hospitals, offices and shopping complexes. The campaign targets renovation‑linked hazards, ageing infrastructure and blocked evacuation routes, with a view to preventing similar disasters — a measure reported by state‑run China Daily.
Addressing the media on Friday, Chris Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, explained that “the fire first broke out in the lower‑level perimeter nets, igniting foam boards and spreading rapidly to other buildings.” He added that the blaze shattered glass, intensified sharply and moved indoors, triggering simultaneous ignition across multiple buildings. High temperatures caused the bamboo scaffolding to burn, and falling burning bamboo fragments ignited adjacent scaffolding nets, he said.
Because entire flats were destroyed by fire, survivors have been placed in around 1,000 vacant units nearby, according to PTI. With investigations ongoing, authorities continue to piece together both the cause of the fire and reasons behind the failure of safety systems meant to protect residents.
(With inputs from PTI)
