Hong Kong police have promised to throw every available resource into a full-scale criminal probe of the Wang Fuk Court inferno once firefighters declare the site safe, with Acting Commissioner Andrew Kan Kai-yan saying officers are ready to begin floor-by-floor searches in some blocks as early as Friday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters, Kan stressed the force is treating the disaster with utmost seriousness and has enough manpower to complete a thorough investigation within three to four weeks.
A joint police-fire task force has already been formed to pinpoint the cause of the blaze, and all findings will be presented to the coroner’s court.
As soon as each of the seven towers is cleared by fire services, police teams will move in immediately, working block by block so that residents can return home as quickly as possible.
Once a building’s forensic examination is finished, it will be unsealed and handed back to survivors.
Kan confirmed that the three men arrested on suspicion of manslaughter—aged between 52 and 68—remain in custody while police seek legal advice from the Department of Justice.
