The death toll from the blaze at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex has risen to 128, authorities said on Friday. A news conference was addressed in which the officials confirmed that fire alarms in the affected buildings had not been operating properly when the fire broke out.Security Secretary Chris Tang said the search for survivors has been completed, but cautioned that the number of victims could still rise as identification of the deceased is ongoing.
“The fire was put out and rescue operation is over. Our aim now is to make sure the temperature decrease in the building and once everything is deemed safe, police will collect evidence and conduct further investigation,” Tang told reporters.Authorities provided additional details in the conference, stating that the fire alarms in the affected buildings were not functioning properly at the time of the blaze and not all deceased victims have been identified yet. Nearly 1,000 police personnel were deployed for rescue efforts. So far, 108 bodies have been recovered from the burned towers, while four others died from their injuries in the hospital, as reported by Reuters. Around 200 residents are still missing. At least 79 people have been injured, including 12 firefighters, one of whom is reported to be in serious condition. Nearly 900 evacuees have been moved to temporary shelters as authorities continue relief and support operations, Reuters reported. The blaze erupted Wednesday afternoon in one of the eight towers of the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po and quickly spread across seven high-rise blocks. The fire, described as one of Hong Kong’s worst disasters in decades, took more than a thousand firefighters nearly 24 hours to extinguish fully.For a second day, rescue crews moved floor-to-floor through smoke-blackened hallways and unstable debris, forcing their way into hundreds of apartments to locate missing residents. Officials said 25 emergency calls from units they could not initially reach were prioritised, many located on the higher floors where the flames raged the longest. They described conditions as extremely hazardous inside the building. Authorities say the fire is believed to have started in the bamboo scaffolding and plastic netting installed for major renovation works. Concerns over safety compliance have intensified after investigators found highly flammable foam panels near elevator lobbies and suspect that some exterior materials lacked proper fire-resistance standards.Officials said that the cause is still under investigation. Police have arrested three men, including the directors and a consultant from the construction company overseeing renovation, on suspicion of manslaughter and gross negligence.Investigators believe highly flammable foam panels and non-compliant materials on exterior walls contributed to the rapid spread.Residents reported no fire alarms during the initial outbreak, relying instead on neighbours banging on doors to alert others. “The fire spread so quickly. We had no warning except for people shouting to escape,” a resident said. Wang Fuk Court, built in the 1980s and home to around 4,800 mostly elderly residents, had been undergoing major structural repairs. Authorities said they will immediately inspect all housing estates under renovation to ensure materials meet required safety standards.The blaze is Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades, surpassing a 1996 commercial building fire in Kowloon that killed 41 people.Officials say the rescue phase of operations is complete, and a comprehensive investigation is now underway to determine accountability and prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.
