Fire Death Toll In Hong Kong Increases To 160, Six People Still Missing

An apartment complex fire in Hong Kong. (Wikimedia Commons/Cyril Yoshi)

JAKARTA - The death toll in a fire in Hong Kong increased to 160, after one more body was identified, local police said on Tuesday, adding six people were still missing.

A fire broke out in seven apartment buildings in the Wang Fuk Court residential area, Tai Po, Hong Kong, which was detected last Wednesday, ahead of 15:00 local time with rapid escalation reaching Hong Kong's highest level of warning "No. 5 alarms" at 18:22 local time.

The fire is the deadliest fire in the world that has occurred since 1980.

Authorities reported the death toll was 159 weeks ago, after all the affected buildings had been searched.

The death toll increased by one on Tuesday, after a forensic review revealed that a set of bodies already included in the number of victims also included the second person, according to police commissioner Joe Chow, as reported by Al Arabiya from AFP (9/12).

Officers have finished cleaning up the collapsed fabric around the building and found a piece of "suspected human bone", which is still waiting for testing, Chow added.

Meanwhile, the identities of 120 of the 160 dead have been identified through DNA tests or fingerprints.

Authorities previously said the fire at the compound, which is undergoing massive renovations, was likely exacerbated by the use of protective nets on its constituency that did not meet the fire resistance standards.

The fire quickly spread to apartment blocks wrapped in bamboo.

The nets, as well as foam boards attached to windows during work, also caused the spread of fire, authorities said.

Chow said police would begin removing the caste and nets that were still attached to the building, and would also examine the remaining bodies.

Meanwhile, Tsang Shuk-yin, the officer in charge of the victim's investigation unit, said six people who were reported missing were still unknown.

"The police are pretty sure three of these people live in the Wang Fuk Court Complex," he added.

Separately, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced the formation of an "independent committee" led by judges last week to investigate the fire.

Meanwhile, police have arrested 15 people from various construction companies on charges of murder, and six others linked to the fire alarm that did not sound.