Burnt
Eight more arrests after major fire in Hong Kong
The anti-corruption agency is now investigating the devastating fire in a Hong Kong high-rise complex. Apparently there were blatant safety deficiencies during the renovation work.
Eight more people have been arrested in the wake of the worst fire in Hong Kong’s recent history, which left well over 100 dead. According to the city’s anti-corruption agency, there are seven men and one woman between the ages of 40 and 63. Four of those arrested are said to work for a consulting firm that was supposed to oversee the renovation work of the residential complex that has now burned down. Three other people work for a subcontractor in scaffolding construction. The eighth man arrested served as an intermediary for the project.
Hong Kong police had previously arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter on Thursday morning – two directors and a technical consultant of a construction company. They are said to have used non-approved materials for the scaffolding nets and sealed the windows with polystyrene panels. The highly flammable materials are said to have played a key role in the rapid spread of the fire. According to current information, at least 128 people died in the major fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district. In addition, around 200 people are still missing, according to the authorities. Some bodies have not yet been identified. The fire brigade has now extinguished the flames and completed the search and rescue work.
dpa
