Death toll from deadly Hong Kong blaze climbs to 146

Hong Kong on Saturday began a three-day mourning period to honor the victims of the deadly apartment complex blaze, which also injured 79, including 12 firefighters, according to the South China Morning Post.

Rescue operations continued for the fifth day, although the fires in the blocks of the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex have been brought under control.

Authorities said that the death toll from the blaze is likely to increase as more bodies are pulled from the buildings, while about 150 people remained “unreachable.”

The fire broke out at around noon on Wednesday in the complex, which includes more than 1,900 apartments, and spread rapidly due to bamboo scaffolding installed on the exterior for renovation work.

The complex consists of eight towers with an estimated population of over 4,000 residents.

Police have detained two directors and an engineering consultant from Prestige Construction & Engineering Company on suspicion of manslaughter.

Authorities say the bamboo scaffolding and the foam plastic materials covering the windows contributed significantly to the rapid spread of the fire.

On Friday, around 800 affected residents moved to hostels, hotels, and transitional flats.

The incident marked the first time in 17 years that Hong Kong issued a Level 5 fire alarm, the highest on the city’s five-tier scale.