ANKARA

Hong Kong authorities on Monday said that "substandard netting" used in housing blocs may have contributed to the recent deadly blaze, which killed 151 people in a residential complex in Tai Po, according to local media reports.

During a news briefing, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the suspects employed “cunning methods” and used a mix of nets, some that were fire-resistant and some that were not, South China Morning Post reported.

“Samples which failed the requirements were found in spots difficult to reach, where firefighters had to climb out, to avoid detection from authorities,” he said.

Chan added that seven of the 20 samples collected from four buildings at Wang Fuk Court following the fire failed to meet fire-retardant standards.

The estate’s eight residential blocks had been under renovation since July of last year and were wrapped in scaffolding and green netting.

Hong Kong's worst fire in decades began Wednesday afternoon and burned for 43 hours, engulfing seven residential blocks, including more than 1,900 apartments. The fire spread rapidly due to the bamboo scaffolding installed on the exterior for renovation work.

The complex consists of eight towers with an estimated population of over 4,000 residents.

So far, authorities have arrested 14 people, including the main contractor, an engineering consultant and subcontractor from the scaffolding company.

On Monday, five more bodies were recovered from the buildings, raising the death toll to 151, with 79 injured.

On Sunday, local authorities said that 159 residents previously reported missing were “safe.”

However, Tsang Shuk-yin, officer in charge of the casualty enquiry unit of the Hong Kong Police Force, said around 40 people remain missing, and authorities are working to locate them.

According to Tsang, 100 cases have been labeled as untraceable due to incomplete information, individuals not residing in Wang Fuk Court, or informants not having the missing persons' addresses.

The incident marked the first time in 17 years that Hong Kong has issued a Level 5 fire alarm, the highest on the city’s five-tier scale.