Hong Kong begins mourning after fire kills at least 128
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
HONG KONG: Hong Kong entered a three-day mourning period on Saturday (Nov 29) as thousands of residents laid flowers and paid tribute to the 128 people killed in one of the city’s deadliest fires.
Crowds streamed into a small park next to the charred remains of Wang Fuk Court, the Tai Po residential complex that burned for more than 40 hours. Many carried white or yellow flowers, leaving handwritten notes and photographs for neighbours, friends and strangers lost in the blaze.
By nightfall, the area was packed with sombre mourners dressed in dark colours. Among them was a 69-year-old resident surnamed Wong, who had lived in the estate for more than four decades. She quietly listed the neighbours she had lost, including a grandmother and her 18-month-old grandson.
“Yesterday it was confirmed they died,” she said.
Even for survivors, grief was deep. Insurance worker Wong Kuen-mui, 67, said the fire had erased “forty years’ worth of memories”, including childhood photos of her own children.
CITY IN MOURNING
Across the district, a community hall was turned into a “condolence point”, one of 18 set up citywide. Dozens queued in silence to sign condolence books. “I can only hope they rest in peace,” said a 52-year-old man surnamed Ki. Another resident, Raymond Tang, said he wished the deceased could “cross the sea of suffering”.
At 8am, Chief Executive John Lee and senior officials observed three minutes of silence outside government headquarters, where the flags of China and Hong Kong flew at half-mast. Government-organised celebratory events have been cancelled or postponed during the mourning period.
China has launched a national campaign targeting fire risks in high-rises, state broadcaster CCTV said.
The Philippine consulate confirmed that one overseas Filipino worker was among the victims.
SEARCH FOR MISSING CONTINUES
Police said the death toll remained at 128, with 44 bodies still awaiting identification. Officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit, wearing full protective suits, completed searches of two of the eight towers without finding new bodies.
Authorities were still trying to verify the whereabouts of about 150 people reported missing. More than 40 injured remained hospitalised on Saturday night, including 19 in critical condition.
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog had arrested eight people over the blaze and detained three more on Saturday who had initially been held by police.
CAUSE OF FIRE UNDER INVESTIGATION
The fire, which began on Wednesday afternoon, spread rapidly through seven of the eight towers in the densely built estate. Preliminary findings suggest it started on protective netting on the lower floors before igniting “highly flammable” foam boards and bamboo scaffolding.
Fire services chief Andy Yeung said alarms in all eight buildings had been found “malfunctioning” and vowed action against contractors. Residents earlier told AFP they had heard no alarms and instead ran door-to-door warning neighbours.
The blaze was Hong Kong’s deadliest since 1948, when a blast and fire killed at least 135 people. Authorities have set up an interdepartmental task force to determine the cause, and the Buildings Department has suspended work at 30 private construction sites citywide.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app