Hong Kong arrests 13 for apartment tower fire, blames use of renovation material

Hong Kong authorities said on Monday they had detained 13 people for suspected manslaughter in a probe into the city's deadliest fire in decades, pointing to substandard renovation materials for fuelling a blaze that has claimed at least 146 lives.



Police have completed sweeps of four of the seven towers engulfed in Wednesday's disaster at the Wang Fuk Court estate, finding bodies of residents in stairwells and on rooftops, trapped as they tried to flee the flames.



Around 40 people are still missing. Tests on several samples of a green mesh that was wrapped around bamboo scaffolding on the buildings at the time of the blaze did not match fire retardant standards, officials overseeing the investigations told a news conference.



Contractors working on the renovations used these substandard materials in hard-to-reach areas, effectively hiding them from inspectors, said Chief Secretary Eric Chan.



Foam insulation used by contractors also fanned the flames and fire alarms at the complex were not working properly, officials have said.