Hong Kong rescue workers continue to comb apartment buildings destroyed by a massive fire that killed at least 146 people. Hundreds of people have been left homeless and are now adapting to life in temporary accommodation.
Reuters writes about this.
Police have completed a search of four of the seven towers engulfed in the cityʼs deadliest fire in 1948. Officers are finding bodies in stairwells and on rooftops of residents trapped trying to escape the flames. About 40 people are still missing.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
The cause of the blaze, which started last Wednesday and quickly spread to the exterior of the building, where renovations were underway, is still under investigation. But amid public outrage over missed fire warnings and evidence of unsafe construction practices, Beijing has warned it will crack down on any “anti-China” protests.
Two sources told Reuters that police on November 29 detained Miles Kwan, 24, who was part of a group that had filed a petition demanding an independent investigation into possible corruption and an overhaul of the construction supervision system, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Two other people were also arrested on suspicion of inciting sedition, the South China Morning Post reported. Police declined to comment on the reports of the arrests.
Authorities also arrested 11 people as part of an investigation into possible corruption and the use of hazardous materials during renovations. The building was wrapped in green netting and bamboo scaffolding and covered with layers of foam insulation when the fire broke out. Authorities said the complexʼs fire alarm system was also malfunctioning.
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