Police Commissioner Joe Chow announced Monday the completion of the second phase of clean-up operations following the recent devastating structural collapse and fire, confirming that all affected scaffolding around the buildings has been successfully removed in coordination with the Housing Department. However, the comprehensive recovery effort continues to uncover grim new details, with the death toll confirmed at 160 individuals. Authorities are now focusing on complex forensic analyses to confirm the identities of victims and resolve lingering missing-person cases.
Forensic Teams Face Complex Identification Challenges
During the meticulous clean-up of the debris, a potential human bone or fragment was discovered. Forensic teams are currently testing the item to determine if it is human remains, an animal bone, or a piece related to previously recovered bodies.
Crucially, Commissioner Chow confirmed that forensic work on one set of previously recovered remains revealed DNA from two separate individuals: an elderly woman and her domestic helper. This identification was achieved by analyzing DNA samples taken from different parts of the remains. Relatives of both victims, including the helper’s family residing in Hong Kong, have provided reference samples to aid in definitive confirmation.
The Fire Services Department also reported that water has been successfully pumped out of the lift shafts across seven affected buildings, yielding no further discoveries of bodies.
Clarifying the Missing Persons Registry
The Casualty Enquiry Unit has been working diligently to reconcile initial missing-person reports against confirmed victims and other findings. Of the 31 cases initially reported missing, 24 have been effectively clarified, providing crucial closure for families and authorities:
- 12 individuals were confirmed safe and accounted for.
- Two reside outside Hong Kong.
- Two did not live at the impacted Wang Fuk Court property.
- One had previously moved into a care home.
- One is currently held under Correctional Services custody.
- Four individuals, reported missing by friends or relatives unaware of their passing, had actually died between three months and 11 years prior to the disaster.
- Eight of the 31 original missing persons reports are now confirmed to be among the 160 fatalities of the blaze.
Supporting Survivors and Relatives
In efforts to finalize identifications, police arranged a two-day operation (December 8th and 9th) for the collection of DNA mouth swabs. These samples were taken from relatives of those still missing and individuals who conducted preliminary visual identifications of remains.
Family members attended the Kwong Fuk Community Hall on Monday morning, with television reports noting many were visibly distressed.
Meanwhile, the status of those injured remains stable. As of 8 a.m. Monday, of the 79 people treated, one person remains in serious condition at Pok Oi Hospital. Twenty-seven individuals are listed as stable, and 51 have been discharged, allowing them to return home and begin the recovery process.
As the physical clean-up concludes, authorities shift their focus entirely to the investigative and forensic phases, emphasizing that identity confirmation is paramount to providing closure to the community severely impacted by the tragedy. Future updates are expected to detail the timeline for official victim reports and the next steps in the investigation into the cause of the disaster.