A 16th person has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po on Nov 26 that led to the deaths of at least 161 people.
The 48-year-old man is in charge of a subcontractor responsible for external wall repairs on the project. He was arrested in Tin Shui Wai on Wednesday, according to the police.
He has been released on bail.
The man’s arrest follows the apprehension of 15 individuals — 14 men and one woman, aged 40 to 77 — on manslaughter charges. All have since been released on bail.
The Regional Crime Unit of New Territories North is investigating the case.
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Support fund reaches HK$4.1 billion
Meanwhile, established by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, the support fund to help residents rebuild their homes and provide long-term support totaled about HK$4.1 billion ($527 million), with donations received about HK$3.8 billion as of Wednesday noon and the start-up capital of HK$300 million from the government.
As of Wednesday morning, a total of 490 residents are staying in hotel rooms through the coordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, and 551 residents are staying in youth hostels or camps. Another 3,590 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau, units from the Hong Kong Housing Society, or an interim housing in Tuen Mun.
According to the government's latest figures released on Thursday, as of Tuesday, out of the 79 patients admitted to the Hospital Authority's hospitals following the fire, 65 had already recovered and were discharged, while the remaining 14 are in stable condition.
More than 300 private family doctors have participated in a free family doctor service scheme as of Tuesday, covering more than 450 service points that include eight private hospitals. A total of 57 affected residents have been arranged to receive free consultations.
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In addition, over 360 Chinese medicine practitioners have participated in the free consultations scheme, covering more than 600 service points, with 16 residents arranged to receive the services, the figures showed.
