Tai Po fire death toll rises to 161 after discovery of conjoined remains

The devastating five-alarm fire that engulfed Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has now claimed 161 lives, with police confirming on Saturday morning that DNA evidence from one set of remains belonged to a married couple.

In an update to one of Hong Kong's deadliest fires, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming announced this morning that the death toll from the Wang Fuk Court blaze in Tai Po has risen to 161.

Among the 160 sets of remains previously recovered, one contained the DNA of a husband and wife, bringing the total number of victims to 161.

Authorities so far have arrested 21 people connected to the building's construction and maintenance work.

Fifteen of them, including staff from the main contractor, engineering consultancy, a scaffolding subcontractor, and an exterior wall subcontractor, face charges of manslaughter.

The remaining six, linked to the fire safety equipment contractor, are accused of making false statements to the Fire Services Department. Investigations into the cause of the fire and potential safety violations continue.