One other 100 individuals stay unaccounted for after seven high-rise buildings caught hearth and continued burning for 2 days.
Printed On 30 Nov 2025
Authorities in Hong Kong mentioned 18 extra human stays have been discovered after the massive blaze within the eight-apartment Wang Fuk Courtroom property, bringing the demise toll to 146 individuals.
Police and hearth authorities held a information convention on Sunday to supply an replace on Hong Kong’s deadliest hearth in additional than 75 years, which burned by means of seven of the residential buildings within the complicated over two days earlier than being absolutely put out by Friday.
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Shuk-yin Tsang, the pinnacle of the Hong Kong police casualty unit, advised reporters on the scene that one other 100 individuals stay unaccounted for and 79 have been injured. The police had beforehand reported 128 deaths, with households helping within the troublesome identification course of.
Cheng Ka-chun, the officer accountable for the police sufferer identification unit, mentioned the unit has searched by means of 4 of the buildings up to now, discovering our bodies each in residence models and on the roofs.
He added that the unit “can not rule out the potential for additional fatalities”, whereas the complete search course of throughout all burned buildings is predicted to take three to 4 weeks.
On the scene of the blaze on Sunday, greater than 1,000 individuals gathered to pay tribute to the victims, some bringing flowers and handwritten notes whereas others mentioned prayers.
Joey Yeung, 28, whose grandmother’s residence burned within the hearth, mentioned she had come along with her household with a way of each mourning for the victims and anger at these accountable.
“I can’t settle for it. So in the present day I got here with my father and my household to put flowers,” Yeung advised the Reuters information company. “I’m not asking to get something again, however not less than give some justice to the households of the deceased – to those that are nonetheless alive.”
Hong Kong has seen public anger and dismay over the tragedy, because the complicated had repeatedly obtained warnings from residents about dangers in addition to proof of unsafe building practices.
The buildings had been underneath renovation since final 12 months, and the bamboo scaffolding and flammable foam boards used to guard home windows through the course of quickly caught and unfold the fireplace.
Police on Saturday arrested Miles Kwan, 24, who was a part of a bunch that launched a petition demanding an unbiased probe into doable corruption and a assessment of building oversight, two individuals conversant in the matter advised Reuters.
The web petition promoted by the group drew greater than 10,000 signatures by Saturday afternoon earlier than it was closed.
Hong Kong officers introduced late on Saturday that they’d ordered the fast suspension of labor on 28 constructing initiatives undertaken by the contractor of the complicated, the Status Development and Engineering Firm, for security audits.
Three firm officers are amongst not less than 11 individuals arrested in reference to the blaze, based on native authorities.
Lots of the 4,600 individuals residing within the eight high-rise buildings are actually housed in short-term emergency shelters or metropolis motels, and authorities are engaged on longer-term options.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Jeffery Chan, a civil servant who got here to pay his respects on Sunday, advised The Related Press information company.
“As a Hong Konger, seeing individuals within the place the place we reside lose their households, lose all the pieces in only one evening – when you put your self of their footwear, it’s insufferable. They want encouragement, assist and assist from the individuals of Hong Kong,” he mentioned.
