The death toll from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has climbed to 159 after authorities completed searches of the affected residential blocks, police said on Wednesday. They warned the figure could still change because officers recovered suspected human bones that require forensic testing.

The blaze tore through Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last week, becoming the world’s worst residential building fire since 1980. The victims ranged from a one-year-old baby to a 97-year-old resident.

Mourners continued to gather at a nearby park, leaving hundreds of flowers and handwritten notes. Visitor Sarah Lam said she hoped the community could “lay their grief to rest” and called for clarity on what happened, saying the victims had suffered “many injustices”.

Forrest Li, 26, described the park as a “bridge” that helped people express their grief through an “unspoken connection” with the dead.

Residents of the only tower left untouched were allowed a brief return on Wednesday to retrieve belongings.

Officials have said the fire spread rapidly because the estate, which was under major renovation, was wrapped in bamboo scaffolding, foam boards and non-compliant protective netting. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn has ordered all Hong Kong buildings undergoing major maintenance to remove their netting by Saturday.

Police have arrested 15 people, including construction company executives, on suspicion of manslaughter. Another six were detained on allegations linked to malfunctioning fire alarms within the estate.

The disaster has fuelled demands for accountability and safety reforms. City leader John Lee has cautioned against attempts to “exploit the tragedy”, while Beijing’s national security office accused “external hostile forces” of using the incident to incite unrest. It warned that acts aimed at destabilising Hong Kong would be “recorded and pursued for life”.

Local reports over the weekend said three people, including student Miles Kwan and former district councillor Kenneth Cheung, were arrested for sedition. Both were later seen leaving police stations.

At Hong Kong Baptist University, a student union notice board known as a “democracy wall” was blocked off by barricades on Wednesday. A message still visible behind the barriers read, “We are Hongkongers. Urge the government to respond to public demands so justice can be done.”