The death toll in Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades rose to 159 on Wednesday, with police announcing the casualties included an infant and a 97-year-old as they continued their search for remains in the burned-out apartment complex.
Residents forced to escape the only block of the eight that was not consumed in flames a week ago returned briefly to their houses to recover possessions, while hundreds more fought to rebuild their lives in temporary housing. Meanwhile, investigators recovered other bodies, some on rooftops and stairwells and others burnt to ashes, according to police.
The identities of 140 of the 159 bodies discovered have been established. They are 91 ladies and 49 males ranging in age from one to 97 years.
Some 30 persons remain missing.
We absolutely want, if there are any victims left at the scene, to find them as soon as possible so that the surviving family can say their final goodbyes,” Police Commissioner Chow Yat-ming told a press conference on Wednesday. In an investigation into the cause of the fire, police have arrested 21 people on charges of murder, and Hong Kong’s anti-corruption authority is looking into probable wrongdoing.
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