Death toll in Hong Kong residential complex fire rises to 159

The death toll from last week’s fire at a residential complex in Hong Kong has risen to 159 after authorities located additional bodies during final search operations, according to police.

The update was announced on Wednesday after search teams finished examining all seven residential blocks in the Wang Fuk Court complex in the New Territories district. Police said three more bodies were recovered as officers carried out the last phase of unit-to-unit checks inside the fire-damaged towers.

Police Commissioner Joe Chow said 140 of the victims have been identified so far, including 49 males and 91 females between the ages of one and 97. He said more than 30 people remain unaccounted for, and investigators have found suspected human remains in several units.

Authorities previously warned that some victims may not be fully recoverable because of the intensity of the fire and the structural conditions inside the buildings.

The blaze began last Wednesday and spread rapidly through the complex, where officials said flammable exterior insulation contributed to the speed of the fire’s advance.

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has arrested 14 people in connection with the disaster, including directors of the construction firm responsible for recent building repairs and an engineering consultant.