The death toll from a devastating apartment fire in Hong Kong has risen to 146, with investigators uncovering more bodies in the charred buildings. The fire, which started on Wednesday and took until Friday to extinguish, has left many residents homeless and has sparked a broader conversation about building safety and fire code violations. The Wang Fuk Court complex, consisting of eight buildings, was clad in bamboo scaffolding and covered with nylon netting for renovations, with windows blocked by polystyrene panels. This has led to questions about fire safety and the role of the Prestige Construction & Engineering Company, which was responsible for the construction and has since been suspended from all projects by Hong Kong officials. The fire spread rapidly due to faulty fire alarms and foam panels, which caught fire and blew out windows. The complex, built in the 1980s, housed almost 2,000 apartments and over 4,600 residents, many of whom are now temporarily housed in emergency shelters or city hotels. The tragedy has prompted a nationwide inspection of high-rise buildings in China to detect and eliminate potential fire risks, including bamboo scaffolding, non-flame-retardant safety nets, and firefighting facilities. The investigation has also led to the arrest of three men suspected of manslaughter and gross negligence, as well as several other suspects, including scaffolding subcontractors and renovation project managers.
