The death toll from a devastating fire at a Hong Kong apartment complex has risen to 146, authorities confirmed on Sunday. The tragic blaze, which started last Wednesday, engulfed the Wang Fuk Court complex in the Tai Po suburb, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the city's recent history.
Search Operations and Rising Casualties
Investigators from the Hong Kong police Disaster Victim Identification Unit have been conducting a meticulous search of the charred buildings. The officer in charge, Cheng Ka-chun, stated that teams found bodies both inside apartment units and on the roofs. The search has been slow and challenging due to extremely dark conditions inside the structures, making it difficult to work in areas away from windows.
So far, the team has examined four of the seven blocks in the complex. Another 100 people remain unaccounted for, while 79 individuals have been reported injured, according to Tsang Shuk-yin, head of the Hong Kong police casualty unit.
Community Mourning and Safety Investigations
Meanwhile, a growing makeshift memorial at the site has seen hundreds of mourners laying bouquets, bowing in prayer, and leaving handwritten notes. "This really serves as a wake-up call for everyone, especially with these super high-rise buildings," said Lian Shuzheng, one of the many who came to pay respects.
The eight buildings, all 31 stories high and built in the 1980s, were undergoing renovations with bamboo scaffolding draped with nylon netting and windows covered by polystyrene panels. Authorities are investigating whether fire codes were violated, with preliminary findings indicating the fire started on lower-level scaffolding and spread rapidly as foam panels caught fire.
Government Response and Arrests
In response to the tragedy, Hong Kong officials announced the immediate suspension of work on 28 building projects undertaken by Prestige Construction & Engineering Company for safety audits. The government cited "serious deficiencies" in the company's site safety management.
Police have arrested three men—directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company—on suspicion of manslaughter, with company leaders suspected of gross negligence. Hong Kong's anti-corruption authorities have rearrested these three and arrested a further eight suspects, including scaffolding subcontractors and renovation project managers.
The incident has prompted China's Ministry of Emergency Management to announce a nationwide inspection of high-rise buildings to detect and eliminate potential fire risks, focusing on bamboo scaffolding, safety nets, and firefighting equipment.
Many residents who lost their homes are now housed in short-term emergency shelters or city hotels, with authorities working on longer-term solutions. The international community has also been affected, with Indonesia's Foreign Ministry confirming seven Indonesian migrant workers among the victims and the Philippines Consulate General reporting one Filipina domestic worker dead and 12 others missing.
