The elderly tenants of the housing complex are trying to retrieve their only belongings, but the Houston Housing Authority has reported that 61 of the 210 apartments are contaminated with asbestos that was dispersed during the fire.

Asbestos is a deadly substance that is known to cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.

The estimated cost of cleaning the belongings is $3,400 per apartment. At this price, the cost of cleaning 61 apartments is $207,400. The Houston Housing Authority is arranging a negotiation for a lower price.

Many of the Bellerive tenants did not have renters insurance, which is not required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Asbestos attorneys are currently working on cases in which asbestos contamination has caused serious illness.