An outpouring of grief swept Hong Kong as crowds paid their respects and laid flowers for the 128 people killed in one of the city's deadliest fires, marking the start of an official, three-day mourning period.
As per AP, a growing number of people on Saturday, November 29, arrived at a park near the charred shell of Wang Fuk Court, the residential complex that burned for more than 40 hours, to place white and yellow flowers and handwritten messages of remembrance.
"May your spirits in heaven always keep the joy alive," one of the notes read.
The deadliest fire in decades has raised questions about corruption and negligence in the renovations of the apartment complex.
Police on Wednesday arrested three men, who are now out on bail, from a construction company on suspicion of manslaughter and gross negligence.
Authorities then arrested seven men and one woman, ranging in age from 40 to 63, including scaffolding subcontractors, directors of an engineering consultant company and project managers supervising the renovation, in a corruption probe.
Police have not identified the company where the suspects worked, but documents posted to the homeowners association’s website showed that the Prestige Construction & Engineering Company was in charge of renovations. Police have seized boxes of documents from the company, where phones rang unanswered Thursday.
Officials also said they were investigating the materials used, both the netting on the scaffolding and the foam panels, and their role in the blaze.
