Hong Kong Apartment Blaze Claims 146 Lives as Search Effort Continues

Hong Kong authorities confirmed on Sunday that 146 people have died following a large fire that swept through Wang Fuk Court, a residential high-rise complex in the Tai Po district. Officials warned that the number could climb further as recovery teams continue combing the damaged buildings.

Scale of the Incident

The fire began on Wednesday afternoon, November 26, and rapidly spread through multiple blocks of the government-built housing estate. Within hours, the Fire Services Department raised the alarm classification to No. 5, the city’s highest alert level, signaling a full-scale emergency response. Hundreds of firefighters, paramedics and police officers converged on the scene, evacuating residents and battling flames that raged for several hours before being brought under control.

Ongoing Recovery Operation

The Hong Kong Police Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) is leading the search inside the blackened structures. Officers wearing full-body protective suits have been entering the worst-affected apartments, methodically documenting and removing remains. At a Sunday news conference, police representatives said the operation is expected to last three to four weeks under an “optimistic” timeline. Severe structural damage and lingering hotspots inside stairwells and corridors continue to slow progress.

Investigators cautioned that the confirmed toll reflects only the bodies retrieved so far. Unsearched sections of the towers, combined with a sizable number of missing-person reports filed by relatives, suggest additional victims may yet be located.

Investigation and Arrests

Police have arrested three men linked to the construction company overseeing ongoing renovation work at Wang Fuk Court. All three are under investigation on suspicion of endangering public safety. Officials have not released details about the suspected cause of the blaze, but preliminary inquiries are focusing on renovation materials stored in common areas and possible breaches of fire-safety regulations.

A forensic team is also examining the performance of the building’s alarm and sprinkler systems. According to the Hong Kong Fire Services Department, residential towers of this height are required to maintain fully operational detection and suppression equipment. Any malfunction could expose contractors and management companies to criminal liability.

Public Mourning

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region declared three days of official mourning from November 29 to December 1. Throughout the period, national and regional flags are being flown at half-mast across government premises, and a three-minute silence was observed at 8 a.m. on November 29. Residents have been invited to sign condolence books placed in district offices and designated community centers.

Authorities announced that all non-essential public engagements by senior officials have been suspended, while government-funded entertainment or celebratory events have been canceled or postponed. The measures aim to, in the words of a government statement, “express profound sorrow for the victims and solidarity with their families.”

Imagem: Internet

Community Response

In the days since the fire, mourners have gathered outside the charred complex, placing white flowers, burning incense and offering silent prayers. Volunteers from local charities have set up tables providing bottled water, face masks and counseling services for displaced residents. Nearby schools have opened temporary shelters, and social workers are helping survivors obtain replacement identity documents and emergency subsidies.

Eyewitness accounts collected by first responders indicate that smoke filled stairwells within minutes of the first alarm, trapping individuals on upper floors. Some residents recounted shouting from balconies for assistance as flames rose along the exterior scaffolding installed for the renovation project.

Next Steps

Structural engineers are conducting safety assessments to determine whether the affected blocks can be repaired or must be demolished. In parallel, city planners are reviewing inspection records for public housing estates built during the same period to identify any systemic fire-safety vulnerabilities.

The Social Welfare Department has announced financial aid packages for families of the deceased and for households that lost their homes. Rental fees will be waived for surviving residents until permanent housing solutions are arranged.

Officials have urged the public to rely on verified updates as the situation develops. Additional briefings are planned once search teams complete their work or when major investigative findings emerge.

Crédito da imagem: AFP via Getty Images