5 months ago
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The decease toll successful the fire astatine 7 high-rise residential buildings successful Hong Kong has risen to 146 connected Sunday (November 30, 2025), portion the destiny of 150 radical is inactive unclear arsenic the hunt operations proceed connected the 5th day.
Eight people, including a pistillate connected with the renovation enactment of the buildings that caught occurrence connected Wednesday (November 26), were arrested by Hong Kong’s anti-corruption assemblage for allegedly utilizing inflammable and substandard materials. State-run Xinhua quoted section officials arsenic saying that the decease toll successful the occurrence roseate to 146, with a firefighter among the dead.
Investigations into the occurrence mishap are underway with galore unanswered questions, particularly however 7 high-rise buildings with 1,984 apartments, lodging astir 4,600 residents, caught fire.
The presumption of 150 radical is unclear, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The survivors complained that occurrence alarms successful the buildings did not enactment arsenic a result, radical did not person immoderate aboriginal warning. Following the incident, China has launched a nationwide inspection of occurrence hazards successful high-rise residential and nationalist buildings each implicit the country.
In a announcement issued connected Saturday (November 29), the Work Safety Committee of the State Council instructed section governments to instantly transportation retired checks and hole problems successful occupied residential towers, bureau buildings, hospitals and buying complexes.
The run aims to forestall accidents linked to renovation work, ageing facilities and blocked evacuation routes, state-run China Daily reported.
Chris Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, told the media connected Friday (November 28) that the occurrence archetypal broke retired successful the lower-level perimeter nets, igniting foam boards and spreading rapidly to different buildings.
This caused the solid to shatter, the occurrence to intensify sharply and dispersed indoors, resulting successful a catastrophe with large-scale simultaneous ignition, helium said.
High temperatures burned the bamboo scaffolding, and falling burning bamboo pieces acceptable occurrence to different scaffolding nets.
As the flats were wholly burnt, the survivors person been accommodated successful 1,000 bare flats nearby.
