Six arrested over muted fire alarms as Wang Fuk Court death toll rises to 159

Six more people have been arrested in connection with the muted fire alarms at Wang Fuk Court, police revealed on Wednesday, as the death toll from the catastrophic five-alarm blaze climbed to 159 after three additional bodies were found during a final sweep of all seven residential blocks.

Police Commissioner Chow Yat-ming said the six individuals were employees of a fire service installation contractor suspected of falsely telling the Fire Services Department that alarms would not be disabled during renovation works. Five remain in custody, while one has been released on bail.

The arrests came as police concluded searches of all flats across the seven towers. Of the 159 deceased, 140 victims have been identified, while 19 bodies remain unidentified. Thirty-one residents are still unaccounted for.

Three more bodies found; Some remains may be reduced to ashes

Chow said three bodies were recovered during today’s final internal search. He cautioned that some victims may never be recovered intact due to extreme structural damage and intense heat inside certain units.

He noted that among the 140 identified victims were 49 males and 91 females, aged 1 to 97, including one firefighter, five construction workers, and ten foreign domestic workers.

Chow detailed the distribution of fatalities:

• Wang Cheong House (first building to catch fire): 70 deaths
• Wang Tai House (second building involved): 82 deaths
• Wang Sun House: 3
• Wang Tao House: 2
• Wang Shing House: 1
• Location unknown: 1

Police will next search the exterior perimeters of the estate, where scaffolding had collapsed. Removal will proceed only after Housing Department engineers confirm structural safety.

Some flats were so severely burned that “main structural walls were reduced to exposed rebar” and “even the ceilings were entirely destroyed,” Chow said.

He acknowledged the possibility that certain victims “may have been burnt to ashes,” meaning some families may never have remains to identify. “But police will do everything we can,” he added.

DVI teams face extreme conditions; Human and animal remains still being tested

Superintendent Cheng Ka-chun, head of the Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU), described physically and emotionally punishing conditions inside the towers: toxic air, unstable debris, and the need to climb more than 30 floors carrying full equipment.

On one floor, teams encountered the bodies of an entire family—an image he said left a “strong psychological impact.” To preserve remains, officers used their hands to sift through sand, ash, and wastewater.

Cheng said suspected bone fragments were found in multiple units, but it remains unclear whether they belong to humans or animals. These samples have been sent for forensic and DNA testing.

The unit will continue reaching out to families of missing residents and does not rule out additional discoveries once exterior scaffolding is removed, he added.

79 injured; 37 still hospitalized

The fire injured 79 people, with 42 discharged and 37 still in hospital. Four are in critical condition, nine are categorized as serious, and 24 are stable.

For residents still missing, official death certification may take time if remains cannot be located or if DNA identification is required, police said.