The death toll in the catastrophic fire that swept through a Hong Kong apartment complex has climbed to 128, with around 200 people still unaccounted for, officials announced on Friday.
Fire crews finally subdued the blaze 42 hours after it first erupted.
At least 79 residents were injured as flames tore rapidly through several blocks of a public housing estate in Tai Po, Security Secretary Chris Tang said at a press briefing.
Tang cautioned that the number of fatalities may continue to rise, noting that roughly 200 individuals remain missing — a figure that includes several bodies yet to be identified.
The inferno, Hong Kong’s deadliest in decades, has stunned the densely populated city, known for its strong safety standards and robust building regulations.
Hundreds of displaced residents spent a third consecutive night in temporary shelters, many anxiously waiting for news about missing family members.
Survivors and neighbours have been left questioning how such a large-scale tragedy could unfold.
Reason still unknown
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Police are examining how the flames leapt from one building to another, transforming what began as a single-tower blaze into multiple simultaneous high-rise fires.
Authorities expect the inquiry to take three to four weeks.
Officials believe the fire began on the lower floors of Wang Cheong House, Block 6 of Wang Fuk Court — a cluster of eight towers housing over 4,000 residents, many of them elderly.
The estate was undergoing renovation, and all eight towers were covered in bamboo scaffolding and green protective mesh.
Police earlier discovered the construction company’s name on flammable polystyrene panels that had been found obstructing some windows.
Tang explained that the fire ignited the mesh sheeting and then spread quickly to the polystyrene boards surrounding the windows, allowing flames to race vertically and jump between buildings.
The intense heat shattered windows, accelerating the spread inside homes.
As the scaffolding and mesh burned and collapsed, it ignited additional floors.
Conditions inside were extremely dangerous, with temperatures exceeding 500°C (930°F), Tang added.
He noted that the mesh netting met existing safety requirements.
Firefighting efforts were further hindered as some units reignited even after their flames had been extinguished.
Post-fire inspections revealed that fire alarms across all eight buildings were “not functional,” Fire Services Director Andy Yeung said.
It remains unclear whether the system was working on the day of the blaze, though residents earlier reported that no alarm sounded.
“We will be taking law enforcement action regarding this issue,” Yeung said.
