Hong Kong on Saturday (November 29) mourned the 128 people known to have died in a massive fire at a high-rise apartment complex, a toll that is likely to rise with 150 still missing. Authorities arrested 14 people in connection with the blaze, as they investigate possible corruption and the use of unsafe materials during renovations at the Wang Fuk Court complex. Vanesse Chan has more. - REUTERS
00:00As Hong Kong began a three-day mourning period on Saturday after a catastrophic fire at a housing
00:07estate, authorities said they had arrested more than a dozen people in connection with the tragedy.
00:13The blaze, which tore through seven high-rise blocks of the Wangfu Court complex on Wednesday,
00:19was the city's deathliest in nearly 80 years. Police warned the death toll of more than 120
00:27was likely to rise, with 150 people still missing as of Saturday. An officer told reporters
00:35nobodies were found after two of the towers were searched, though several pets were rescued.
00:42The arrests came as authorities investigated possible corruption and the use of unsafe
00:48materials during the renovations at the complex. Reports have also emerged that Wangfu Court
00:54residents had repeatedly raised safety concerns over the works. More than a year ago, some had
01:02voiced worries about fire hazards, including the potential flammability of the protective mesh
01:08around the buildings, the city's Labor Department told Reuters. It said authorities at the time told
01:14them they faced, quote, relatively low fire risks. However, police said on Thursday, materials used in
01:22the renovations were, quote, suspected of not meeting fire safety standards. Public anger over the fire has
01:30been muted, a stark contrast to mass pro-democracy protests of 2019 that prompted Beijing to tighten
01:37its grip on the city. But the reports of the complaints have shaken the city's residents.
01:43Hong Kong is supposed to be a civilized society. How come there's nobody checking around or inspecting
01:51things? Only after so many people have died and buildings have collapsed as the government
01:55finally speak up, even the fire alarm didn't go off. Isn't that tragic?
01:59And also, we just like to hope there will be a form of investigation and inquiry to make sure tragic of this scale that has cost a lot of lives will be avoided and prevented in the
02:13future. Some frustrated volunteers handed out flyers near the estate, demanding government
02:20accountability. They also called for an independent probe into possible corruption, proper resettlement
02:26for residents, and a review of construction oversight.
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