Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 128, officials say
LONDON -- The death toll from the massive fire at a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong rose to 128 on Friday, as search and rescue efforts continued.
Hong Kong's secretary for security, Chris Tang Ping-keung, warned that more bodies may still be found.
Eight individuals have been arrested so far, according to a statement from Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption.
"The arrestees, aged between 40 and 63, are seven men and one woman. Amongst them are four individuals from the consulting firm of the grand renovation project of Wang Fuk Court, namely two directors and two project managers responsible for supervising the project. Three others are scaffolding subcontractors, including a couple who are the proprietor of a company, while the remaining arrestee is a middleman," the statement said.
The ICAC also noted that searches took place at 13 different locations including the offices of the consulting firm, its subcontractors and the residences of the detainees, where officials seized work documents and bank records.
Officials in Hong Kong announced Friday there would be three days of mourning for the victims, according to a statement from the government.
From Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, national flags will be flown at half-mast and there will be a three-minute moment of silence on Nov. 29 at 8 a.m. Citizens will also have the opportunity to sign condolence books for the victims.
"During this period, government officials will not attend non-essential public activities. All entertainment and celebration activities organized or funded by the government will be cancelled or postponed as appropriate," officials said.
Police suspect the mesh used during the renovation was not up to code. The company installed a large amount of Styrofoam in the windows and the outer walls which acted as an accelerant once the fire began, police said.
The mesh and the Styrofoam were found in the one building that wasn't impacted by the fire, police said.
More than 140 fire engines and over 800 firefighters and paramedics were deployed on Wednesday to respond to the fire, with drones also in use, officials said.
Some 279 people have been reported missing, Hong Kong leader John Lee said during a press briefing earlier Thursday.
"The fire has resulted in many casualties, including a fireman who died in the line of duty," Lee said in an earlier statement posted to social media. "I express my deep sadness and my deep condolences to the families of the dead and the injured."
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences and sympathies to the victims' families and those affected in a statement.
He said he ordered authorities to "do everything possible to ensure search and rescue operations, medical treatment for the injured, and post-disaster relief, and to provide necessary assistance to relevant departments and local authorities to minimize casualties and losses."
ABC News' Karson Yiu, Ellie Kaufman, Will Gretsky and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
