Authorities in Hong Kong have ordered the removal of scaffolding mesh from buildings undergoing renovations by Saturday, as investigations continue into the Chinese territory's deadliest blaze in decades.
It is now known that 159 people died as a result of the fire last Wednesday at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex - with 31 still missing.
Investigators have found that a protective netting used around the complex, which had been undergoing extensive renovations, failed to meet flame retardant standards.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said new guidelines for testing materials used in scaffolding would be issued next week.
Around 200 private residential and 10 public buildings are currently undergoing renovations in Hong Kong. Reports suggest about 300 buildings will be affected by the removal order.
I assure the public that we will chase to the end the accountability of any contractors using substandard scaffolding mesh, Linn was quoted as saying.
Samples had already been taken from mesh for testing, she added.
At Wang Fuk Court, flames spread quickly across the separate tower blocks on protective mesh netting and other flammable materials on the outside of the buildings, officials said.
Police have made at least 15 arrests for manslaughter as the investigation into the cause of the fire proceeds.
On Wednesday, they stated they completed their searches of the interiors of all seven of the complex's towers and would now search for bodies in other parts of the buildings.
Police Commissioner Joe Chow noted, We have not finished our work. There is a lot of fallen bamboo. We still need to see if any bodies were covered by the bamboo.
Of the 159 bodies recovered, 140 have been identified, including individuals aged from one to 97.
A couple in their 70s returned to the site, describing the chaos as flames spread rapidly. One resident recounted, I stood there watching as one block after another went up in flames. It felt completely helpless. They expressed a desire for the truth to come out about potential underlying issues contributing to the fire.
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