Hong Kong fire: Death toll rises to 146 as thousands pay respects

At least 146 people are known to have died in a devastating fire that devastated several high-rise buildings in Hong Kong.

Police announced the death toll at a news conference on Sunday, warning that they “cannot rule out the possibility of further deaths.” Another 79 are injured and 150 remain missing, they said.

Seven of the eight apartment blocks of a tenement in the northern district of Tai Po burned rapidly on Wednesday. Accusations that the fire was fueled by flammable materials on the outside of the buildings have sparked anger and concern.

Thousands of people gathered at the Wang Fuk court complex on Sunday to mourn the victims, with queues stretching for nearly 2 kilometers.

The death toll has been rising since the fire began, as officials work to recover and identify the bodies.

The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of corruption in renovations being carried out at the towers, while three others were detained on charges of manslaughter.

The fire, which spread rapidly upwards and between the blocks, was not completely extinguished until Friday morning and required the use of more than 2,000 firefighters to bring it under control.

The same day, police began entering buildings to collect evidence. Authorities say the investigation could take three to four weeks.

Police officer Tsang Shuk-yin said on Sunday that officers had so far completed searches at four of the apartment blocks.

The Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong said at least seven of its citizens had died from the fire, while the Philippine consulate said one of its citizens had died.

Firefighter Ho Wai-ho, 37, has been identified among the dead. He was found collapsed at the scene on Wednesday, about 30 minutes after contact with him was lost.

The fire department said the fire reached a maximum temperature of 500 °C (932 °F). Twelve firefighters were injured fighting the fire.

The fire spread quickly through the separate blocks due to the presence of plastic netting and other flammable materials on the exterior of the buildings, officials said.

The tower blocks were also covered with bamboo scaffolding, which is commonly used for construction and renovation work in Hong Kong. The fire has sparked debate over whether it should still be used.

Several residents said they did not hear a fire alarm when the fire broke out. The Hong Kong fire service found that fire alarms in all eight blocks were not working effectively.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said those arrested in the corruption investigation included directors of an engineering company and scaffolding subcontractors.

A police spokesperson previously said they have reason to believe that “those responsible for the company were extremely negligent”, leading to the fire and causing it to “spread uncontrollably”.

Hong Kong’s construction department has temporarily suspended work on 30 private projects.

Police reportedly detained a 24-year-old man on suspicion of sedition on Saturday. He was part of a group calling for an independent investigation into the fire.

The fire, the deadliest in Hong Kong in more than 70 years, prompted authorities in the region to declare a three-day period of mourning, which began on Saturday.

Officials observed a three-minute silence to mark the start of the period, as the flags of China and Hong Kong flew at half-mast.

Thousands of people have visited the site to leave flowers and pray, as well as offer handwritten messages for the victims.

Indonesian worker Romlah Rosidah said she was “very surprised” by the number of people who came to pray for the victims.

“This event was only spread on social networks, but [it] And it turned out that their hearts were moved,” he told the Reuters news agency.

A Filipino worker said they joined the prayers in solidarity, as well as “to show the Hong Kong community that we are one in this situation.”

Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for about 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.

It is estimated that almost 40% of its residents are at least 65 years old. Some have lived in the officially protected housing estate since its construction.

The second deadliest fire on record in Hong Kong killed 176 people in 1948 and was caused by an explosion on the ground floor of a five-story warehouse. The deadliest was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when more than 600 people died.