Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 128, with 200 still missing

HONG KONG — The deadly inferno that tore through a high-rise housing estate in Hong Kong has killed at least 128 people, authorities said Friday, with some 200 people still missing.

Firefighters combing each apartment in the charred tower complex found 38 more bodies, officials said at a news conference, as smoke still drifted into the air of the Chinese territory some 48 hours after its deadliest blaze in decades.

The city’s Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, told reporters that 89 bodies could not yet be identified, while there were also 79 people injured.

Preliminary findings revealed that the initial ignition point was the protective netting on the lower floors of Wang Cheong House, one of the seven impacted towers at the Wang Fuk Court building complex, Tang said.

“The foam boards covering the windows are highly flammable,” Tang added.

He went on to add that the burning of the foam boards resulted in the fire quickly spreading to other floors and affecting six more blocks at Wang Fuk Court.

Police searched the offices of Prestige Construction and Engineering Co., the registered contractor hired to carry out the renovations, after arresting two directors and an engineering consultant on suspicion of manslaughter Thursday.

Calls to the company by NBC News went unanswered.