Donations for victims of a Hong Kong fire that killed at least 146 people and left thousands homeless reached 900 million Hong Kong dollars ($115 million), authorities said on Monday, in a massive outpouring of sympathy and support. But as questions grew over who to blame for the deadly blaze, the Government appeared to be moving swiftly to stifle criticism.
A steady stream of people placed flowers, cards and other tributes at a makeshift memorial near the burned-out block of buildings, after long lines of mourners during the weekend. “When something happens, we come out to help each other, “ said Loretta Loh, after paying her regards at the site. “I have a heavy heart.”
The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Wang Fuk Court complex in the suburb of Tai Po. It burned through seven of eight apartment towers, home to some 4,600 people, and wasn’t fully extinguished until Friday morning. Hong Kong police Disaster Victim Identification Unit staff went through four of the buildings over the weekend, finding another 30 bodies that took the official death toll to 146.
Another 100 people are still unaccounted for, and 79 were injured. On Monday, Hong Kong authorities said teams were assessing the safety of the other buildings, including the one that caught fire first and suffered the worst damage. The millions of donated funds, and 300 million Hong Kong dollars ($38.5 million) in start-up capital from the Government, will be used to help victims rebuild their homes and provide long-term support, local officials said.
The Government has also given survivors cash subsidies to help with expenses, including funerals, and is working to find them housing. By Monday, 683 residents had found places in local hotels and hostels, and another 1,144 moved into transitional housing units.
Two emergency shelters remained open for others, authorities said. The complex’s buildings were all clad in bamboo scaffolding draped with nylon netting for external renovations. Windows were covered with polystyrene panels, and authorities are investigating whether fire codes had been violated.