One other 100 individuals stay unaccounted for after seven high-rise buildings caught hearth and continued burning for 2 days.
Revealed On 30 Nov 2025
Authorities in Hong Kong stated 18 extra human stays have been discovered after the large blaze within the eight-apartment Wang Fuk Courtroom property, bringing the loss of life toll to 146 individuals.
Police and hearth authorities held a information convention on Sunday to supply an replace on Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in additional than 75 years, which burned via seven of the residential buildings within the complicated over two days earlier than being totally put out by Friday.
Beneficial Tales
checklist of 4 objectsfinish of checklist
Shuk-yin Tsang, the top 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 answerable for the police sufferer identification unit, stated the unit has searched via 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 stated prayers.
Joey Yeung, 28, whose grandmother’s residence burned within the hearth, stated she had come together with her household with a way of each mourning for the victims and anger at these accountable.
“I can’t settle for it. So right this moment 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 no 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 acquired warnings from residents about dangers in addition to proof of unsafe construction practices.
The buildings had been beneath 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 evaluation of development oversight, two individuals acquainted with the matter advised Reuters.
The net 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 instant suspension of labor on 28 constructing initiatives undertaken by the contractor of the complicated, the Status Building and Engineering Firm, for security audits.
Three firm officers are amongst no less than 11 individuals arrested in reference to the blaze, in line with native authorities.
Lots of the 4,600 individuals residing within the eight high-rise buildings at the moment are housed in short-term emergency shelters or metropolis accommodations, 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 stay lose their households, lose all the things in only one evening – in the event you put your self of their footwear, it’s insufferable. They want encouragement, assist and assist from the individuals of Hong Kong,” he stated.
