The death toll from a massive fire that tore through several residential towers in Hong Kong has risen to 146, police announced on Sunday.
Dozens of individuals remain missing following the blaze, which firefighters have now extinguished. Rescue efforts to find survivors have been called off, and the focus has shifted to recovering and identifying bodies within the apartments.
A three-day mourning period was initiated in Hong Kong on Saturday. Flags at government buildings will remain at half-mast until Monday as the city pays tribute to the victims.
Authorities have arrested at least eleven people over the disaster, including several employees of a construction company. Investigations reveal that unauthorised materials were used for scaffolding nets during renovation work on the residential complex. The fire spread rapidly due to bamboo scaffolding and polystyrene materials found near the windows.
