Police expect to complete the search and evidence collection work of the major fire in the residential complex Wang Fuk Court within three weeks at its current speed, the Hong Kong Police Force said on December 1.

The police began searching for remains in the last two of the seven fire-stricken buildings on Monday morning, and confirmed that the death toll in the fire had risen to 151 by 4 p.m. local time on December 1. A total of 104 of the bodies had been identified.

The police's Disaster Victims Identification Unit will do their utmost to discover bodies or objects that can help identify the deceased, to which the surviving families can bid farewell, said Lam Man-han, regional commander of New Territories North of the Hong Kong Police Force.

So far, the police have arrested 13 people on suspicion of manslaughter who work for the head contractor, subcontractors and project consulting firm for the renovation. More arrests could be made pending the results of further investigation.

Construction mesh sheets that fall short of fireproof standards, coupled with highly flammable polyurethane foam used to cushion windows, might have caused the "unusually" rapid spread of the fire, according to authorities.

The police collected 20 samples of protective mesh draped over scaffolding from lower, middle and upper floors of the buildings. Seven of the samples failed fire resistance tests.

The ICAC said that suspects under investigation purchased substandard protective mesh to repair damages wreaked by the typhoon in July.

In October, a fire started from protective netting at a construction site in Central. To prepare for possible random quality checks, a much smaller batch of more expensive fireproof mesh sheets was purchased to drape over lower levels of each building, according to the ICAC.

A city-wide fire safety check of building maintenance materials had gone through 61 sites by 4 p.m. on December 1. The Labor Department has issued 53 written warnings and 13 notices for improvement, and brought two charges.

Support strengthened for those affected by the fire, with monetary donations being funneled in from individuals, companies and organizations from Hong Kong and beyond.

By 4 p.m. on December 1, 1,861 households had received disaster-relief cash grant of 10,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $1,284) handed out by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

All individuals injured in the fire and admitted to public hospitals under Hong Kong's Hospital Authority will receive full fee waivers for all necessary healthcare services through the entire process of their treatment and rehabilitation, the Health Bureau announced on December 1.