THE DEATH toll from Hong Kong’s worst fire in nearly 80 years rose to 128 on Friday, while about 200 people remained missing from the high-rise residential complex that was engulfed by flames, according to the city’s security chief.
The blaze began on Wednesday afternoon in the Wang Fuk Court development in Tai Po. The estate has eight towers, each 32 storeys high, and the fire spread through the buildings soon after it started.
Hong Kong Security Chief Chris Tang said at a press conference that authorities did not rule out the possibility of more bodies being found when police enter the building for detailed investigations. He said only 39 of the 128 dead had been identified. Tang also said the fire alarms in the complex had not been functioning properly.
Rescue efforts have now concluded. At least 79 people, including 12 firefighters, were injured, Tang said.
"Our aim now is to make sure the temperature decreases in the building and once everything is deemed safe, police will collect evidence and conduct further investigation,” Tang said.
More than 4,600 people live in the estate, which was covered in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh as part of renovation works.
Police said three construction company officials had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter for using unsafe materials, including flammable foam boards that blocked windows.
IDENTIFYING THE DEAD
Residents had been told by authorities last year that they faced “relatively low fire risks” despite repeated complaints about hazards caused by the renovation works, the city’s Labour Department told Reuters.
Concerns raised in September 2024 included the possible flammability of the green mesh used to cover the bamboo scaffolding around the buildings, a department spokesperson said in an email.
As firefighters contained the blaze on Friday and put out remaining hotspots, families were shown photographs of the dead taken by rescue workers.
Mirra Wong, whose parents lived in Wang Fuk Court, was searching for her father. "Just recognise some picture is maybe (the) body of my dad. It's my dad's body is still missing here," said Wong, 48.
Another resident, who did not want to be identified, said a friend’s wife was among those still unaccounted for. "Rationally speaking, it means there's no hope," she said. "But the bodies still have to be found, right? Let me see if they've found them ... It's just too sorrowful. When it involves people you know, it's even more painful."
DEADLIEST FIRE SINCE 1948
Dozens of domestic workers from the Philippines were caught up in the disaster, and 19 remained missing, said Edwina Antonio, executive director at migrant women refuge association Bethune House.
Indonesia’s consulate said two of the dead were Indonesian nationals who worked as domestic helpers. Hong Kong has about 368,000 domestic workers, mostly women from low-income Asian countries who live with their employers.
The fire is Hong Kong's deadliest since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse fire. It has drawn comparisons to the 2017 Grenfell Tower blaze in London, which killed 72 people and was blamed on firms installing flammable cladding along with government and industry failures.
Police arrested two directors and an engineering consultant of Prestige Construction, which the government said had been carrying out maintenance on Wang Fuk Court for more than a year.
"We have reason to believe that the company's responsible parties were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties," Police Superintendent Eileen Chung said on Thursday.
Prestige did not respond to repeated calls for comment.
Authorities said police seized bidding documents, a list of employees, 14 computers and three mobile phones from the company’s office.
The city’s development bureau has discussed gradually shifting from bamboo scaffolding to metal scaffolding for safety.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said the government would set up a HK$300 million (USD 39 million) fund to help residents. Several major Chinese listed companies also announced donations.
On the second night after the fire, dozens of evacuees slept on mattresses inside a nearby mall. Many said they wanted to leave official evacuation centres for those in greater need.
People from elderly residents to schoolchildren wrapped themselves in duvets or stayed in tents outside a McDonald's and convenience stores as volunteers distributed snacks and toiletries.
“We don’t know when we can go home. We have to wait for the police to notify," said an elderly man preparing to sleep in the mall.
"Wang Fuk Court is burning badly, we are afraid that it is dangerous to go home … I am anxious, I cannot sleep well here,” said the man, who gave his name only as Cui.
Hong Kong has many high-rise housing complexes and its property prices have long been a source of discontent. Analysts say the tragedy could add to public resentment despite efforts to tighten political and national security control.
Leaders of both the Hong Kong government and China’s Communist Party acted quickly to show they viewed the situation as a priority amid concerns over how the tragedy might test Beijing’s oversight of the semi-autonomous region.
(With inputs from agencies)
