Hong Kong police have arrested **13 people** on suspicion of manslaughter following the city’s deadliest fire in more than 70 years, as investigators blamed **substandard renovation materials** for fuelling the massive blaze that engulfed seven residential towers last week.
The fire at the **Wang Fuk Court** estate has so far claimed **151 lives**, with more than **40 people still missing**. Search teams combing the charred towers have discovered bodies in stairwells and on rooftops victims who were trapped while attempting to escape.
Police officials said some remains had been **reduced to ash**, making identification difficult. Investigators revealed that samples of the **green mesh** wrapping bamboo scaffolding around the buildings failed to meet fire-retardant standards. Contractors allegedly used these unsafe materials in concealed areas to avoid detection.
Authorities also noted that **flammable foam insulation** and **malfunctioning fire alarms** contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.
Thousands have gathered to mourn the victims, including *foreign domestic workers* from Indonesia and the Philippines. Vigils are expected in *Tokyo, London and Taipei* in the coming days.
More than *1,800 residents* have been displaced, with families moved to temporary accommodations, youth hostels and hotels. The government is offering **HK$10,000** per household in emergency aid and expedited processing of lost identity documents.
The September 2024 renovation project had prompted **repeated fire safety complaints** from residents — including warnings about the flammability of the same scaffold mesh now linked to the disaster. Authorities had assured them the risk was “relatively low”.
The blaze, Hong Kong’s deadliest since a 1948 warehouse fire that killed 176 people, comes just days before legislative elections. Police have detained several individuals who campaigned for an independent probe, drawing criticism from rights groups.
Hong Kong’s security chief, Chris Tang, warned that “malicious actors” were using the tragedy to undermine national security and vowed “appropriate enforcement action.”
Search operations in the worst-hit towers are expected to continue for weeks.
