fire alarms did not work, says government

Based on our initial investigation, we believe that the temperature of the burning Styrofoam sheets was too high, which caused the protective screen, bamboo and other items to catch fire. This also caused glass to break, allowing the fire to spread into buildings and set other objects on fire.
Chris Tang, Secretary of Security of Hong Kong

The investigation should last three to four weeks, according to the government. Acting Commissioner Andrew Kan said the buildings will be reopened to residents as soon as police finish collecting evidence. Kan explained that agents need to wait for the structures to cool, as some areas still exceed 200 °C.

Eight people have been arrested so far

Eight people suspected of being linked to the fire were arrested. Of these, six arrests were made today by the Hong Kong Independent Anti-Corruption Commission. Yesterday, two directors of the Will Power Architects consultancy had already been arrested for manslaughter, after the discovery of flammable materials left on the facade during maintenance work.

More bodies may be found. At a press conference, Hong Kong security chief Chris Tang said he did not rule out the possibility that other dead people would be discovered when police entered the building for detailed investigations.