Hong Kong apartment fire toll hits 1

3/12/2025 19:01

The death toll in Hong Kong's deadliest fire in decades hit 159 on Wednesday, with police revealing that victims included an infant and a 97-year-old as they continued their search for remains in the burnt-out apartment complex.



Residents forced to flee the only block of the eight not engulfed in flames a week ago returned briefly to their homes to retrieve belongings, as hundreds of others housed in temporary accommodation struggled to rebuild their lives.



Meanwhile, investigators continued to uncover more bodies, some of which have been found on rooftops and stairwells and others reduced to nothing more than ashes



Of the 159 bodies found, 140 have been identified. They comprise 91 females and 49 males, aged between one and 97 years.



Some 30 people are still missing.



Meanwhile, Police have arrested 21 suspects for manslaughter in a probe into the cause of the fire, while Hong Kong's anti-corruption body is also investigating possible graft.