Three days of official mourning began in Hong Kong with a moment of silence for the 128 people killed in one of the city's deadliest fires.
Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the city's worst blaze in nearly 80 years as they investigate possible corruption and the use of unsafe materials during renovations at the Wang Fuk Court complex.
Rescue operations at the site in the district of Tai Po, near the border with mainland China, concluded yesterday, though police say they may find more bodies as they search the burnt-out buildings as part of ongoing investigations.
The fire started on Wednesday afternoon and rapidly engulfed seven of the eight 32-storey blocks at the complex, which were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh and layered with foam insulation for the renovations.
At the start of the official mourning period, city leader John Lee, along with senior ministers and dozens of top civil servants, stood in silence for three minutes at 8am (12am Irish time) outside the government headquarters, where the flags of China and Hong Kong were flown at half-mast.
Hours before that, people placed flowers near the charred shell of Wang Fuk Court.
"May your spirits in heaven always keep the joy alive," read a note of remembrance placed at the site.
Condolence points have been set up across Hong Kong for the public to sign condolence books, the government said.
Families have been combing hospitals and victim identification stations hoping to find their loved ones, with around 200 people still listed as missing and 89 bodies unidentified.
Authorities said the cause of the blaze was yet to be determined, but preliminary investigations suggested the fire started on protective netting on the lower floors of one of the towers and that "highly flammable" foam boards, as well as bamboo scaffolding, had contributed to its spread.
Fire services chief Andy Yeung said they discovered that alarm systems in all eight apartment blocks "were malfunctioning", and vowed action against the contractors.
Residents have said they did not hear any fire alarms and went door-to-door to alert neighbours to the danger.
Yesterday, dozens of people injured in the fire were still in hospital, with 11 in critical condition, and 21 listed as "serious".
"We do not rule out the possibility that police will find more remains when entering (the building) for detailed investigation and evidence collection," security chief Chris Tang said.
At one hospital, a woman was looking for her sister-in-law and her sister-in-law's twin, with no luck.
"We still cannot find them. So we are going to different hospitals to ask if they have good news," the woman said.
The government said police have activated a specialist disaster victim identification system to help locate the missing.
Community response
The blaze was Hong Kong's deadliest since 1948, when an explosion followed by a fire killed at least 135 people.
Lethal fires were once a regular scourge in densely populated Hong Kong, especially in poorer neighbourhoods, but improved safety measures have made them far less common.
Security chief Mr Tang said the full investigation into the fire's causes could take up to four weeks.
Authorities had found temporary accommodation for around 800 people, the government said.
Nine emergency shelters were also in operation, accommodating around 720 people overnight.
A spontaneous community effort to help firefighters and those displaced has become a well-oiled machine.
Separate supply stations for clothes, food and household goods were set up at a public square near the towers, as well as booths providing medical and psychological care.
So much was donated that organisers put out a call on social media saying no more was needed.
