Hong Kong fire death toll climbs to 159

The death toll in a fire that ripped through seven high-rise towers in Hong Kong last week has risen to 159, police said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

A total of 140 of them had been identified - 91 of them women and 49 men, according to the police statement. The youngest was just one and the oldest 97, it added.

Police have arrested 21 suspects for manslaughter in a probe into the cause of the fire, while Hong Kong's anti-corruption body is also investigating possible graft.