Hong Kong Mourns as High-Rise Fire Death Toll Hits 128; Over 200 Still Missing

Hong Kong’s leaders held a solemn ceremony on Saturday to mourn the at least 128 people killed in a devastating high-rise apartment fire, as authorities warned the toll could rise further with more than 200 residents still unaccounted for.

Eleven people have been arrested as investigators probe possible corruption and the alleged use of unsafe materials during renovation work at the Wang Fuk Court complex — the site of the city’s deadliest blaze in nearly 80 years.

Rescue operations at the Tai Po estate, near the mainland Chinese border, officially concluded on Friday, but police say additional bodies may still be discovered as they continue combing through several burned-out towers. The fire erupted on Wednesday afternoon and rapidly swept through seven of the eight 32-storey blocks, which were wrapped in bamboo scaffolding, green mesh and foam insulation for ongoing renovations. Authorities have confirmed that the estate’s fire alarms were not functioning properly.

Search for Bodies Continues

Chief Executive John Lee and senior officials, dressed in black, observed a three-minute silence outside the central government offices early Saturday as flags flew at half-mast. They later signed a condolence book for the victims.

At Wang Fuk Court, disaster-victim identification officers equipped with oxygen masks and helmets prepared to enter the charred structures to continue their search. Families faced the harrowing task of identifying loved ones from photographs taken by responders. Security Secretary Chris Tang said only 39 of the 128 confirmed dead had been identified so far.

Lee announced a HK$300 million (US$39 million) relief fund for affected residents, while several major Chinese companies pledged donations. Hundreds of volunteers have also mobilized, organising round-the-clock teams to collect and distribute supplies — from diapers to hot meals — and setting up a large support camp beside a mall across from the estate.

Among the dead were at least two Indonesian domestic workers, according to Indonesia’s consulate. Bethune House, a local migrant-worker support group, said dozens of Filipino domestic helpers were also affected, with 19 still missing. Hong Kong is home to roughly 368,000 domestic workers, most of them women from low-income Asian nations living in cramped quarters with their employers.

Deadliest Blaze Since 1948

The fire is Hong Kong’s worst since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze. The disaster has drawn comparisons to London’s 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people. According to the Labour Department, residents of Wang Fuk Court had repeatedly raised alarms about fire hazards during renovation works, but were told last year that fire risks at the complex were “relatively low.” Concerns included the potential flammability of the green mesh wrapped around the bamboo scaffolding.

Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency on Friday arrested eight people, including an engineering consultant, a scaffolding subcontractor and an intermediary. Police earlier detained two directors and an engineering consultant from Prestige Construction — the company responsible for maintenance works at Wang Fuk Court for more than a year — on suspicion of manslaughter. Investigators allege the firm used unsafe materials, including flammable foam boards that blocked windows. Prestige did not respond to repeated requests for comment.