[Hong Fuk Court 5-Alarm Fire] 'Disaster Victim Identification Unit' Enters Buildings for Evidence Collection and Investigation

The five-alarm fire at Hong Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong, has so far resulted in over a hundred fatalities. At noon on the 29th, 600 officers from the police Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) entered the buildings of Hong Fuk Court to gather evidence.

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung announced the previous day that police would enter the buildings to collect evidence and investigate, with the entire investigation expected to take around three to four weeks.

Members of the Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU), wearing white protective suits and blue helmets, gradually gathered at a nearby sports ground around 9 a.m., and by 11:20 a.m., a total of 600 members entered the buildings. During the operation, some were seen carrying items in foam boxes and at one point removed a rectangular board, suspected to be evidence from the fire.

The Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) was established in 1975. Its members belong to the police Criminal Investigation Training Section and all serve in a part-time capacity. The unit currently comprises around 640 members. As disaster sites often cover large areas, the members use scientific methods to help differentiate between regions, in order to speed up workflow.