HONG KONG, Dec 6 (Reuters) - More than a week after flames tore through Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court estate, killing at least 159 people, the city remains shrouded in grief and a search for answers.

Jailed Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai’s health is declining in prison as national security verdict nears, say his family and legal team.

The deadliest fire in Hong Kong in decades is piling pressure on Beijing’s “patriots-only” governance system, casting a shadow on elections widely seen as a further step to tighten control over the city's legislature.

Officials are rushing to tamp down anger over the blaze, which killed at least 159 people in the Chinese territory’s deadliest fire in almost 80 years.

Kwan was reportedly arrested by Hong Kong national security police on suspicion of sedition. He is now on bail, according to local media. Police told the BBC that it "would handle any action taken in accordance with the law and the actual circumstances".

The death toll from a high-rise apartment fire in Hong Kong has risen to 159. Authorities arrested six people on suspicion of deactivating fire alarms during maintenance work.

Lee has ordered an independent, judge-led inquiry to investigate the cause of the blaze, similar to the UK’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire in London, while Hong Kong police and anti-corruption investigators have arrested dozens of contractors who were working on the renovations.

Hong Kong ordered all buildings undergoing major repair work to immediately remove exterior scaffolding nets, as authorities investigate suspicions of forged safety certifications in connection with the city’s recent deadly blaze.

As flames engulfed seven high-rise apartment buildings in Hong Kong’s Tai Po complex, AP teams sprang into action, delivering an all-formats,