Over 120 Reported Dead in Hong Kong Tragic Fire
The disaster left 79 individuals wounded, among them 11 firefighters, media disclosed.
Emergency teams continue search-and-rescue missions despite successfully containing fires across all blocks of the sprawling apartment compound.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung confirmed the fatality count has exceeded 128, warning additional victims may yet be found.
Officials are processing 467 missing person reports. Approximately 200 individuals remain in "uncertain situations," including 80 bodies that "cannot be identified," Tang stated.
Media had earlier documented 280 people unaccounted for after the tragedy.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu previously announced that blazes consuming seven structures had been suppressed.
Flames erupted around midday Wednesday within the complex housing more than 1,900 units, spreading explosively through bamboo scaffolding installed along exterior walls for renovation projects.
The eight-tower development shelters an estimated 4,000-plus residents.
Law enforcement has arrested two directors and one engineering consultant from Prestige Construction & Engineering Company on manslaughter charges.
Investigators determined that bamboo scaffolding erected during renovations and foam plastic coverings on windows accelerated the fire's devastating advance.
"We have reason to believe that the individuals responsible at the company were grossly negligent, which caused the fire to spread quickly and led to many fatalities," Senior Superintendent Eileen Chung Lai-yee declared.
Chris Tang said preliminary findings revealed abnormal fire propagation speeds, attributed predominantly to foam insulation materials.
"We found that the material covering the building walls, the netting around the scaffolding, and the waterproof tarpaulin caused flames to spread much faster than would occur with materials that meet safety standards," he noted.
Hong Kong activated a level-5 fire alarm—the jurisdiction's maximum emergency classification—for the first time in 17 years.
Officials evacuated two adjacent residential complexes, with roughly 900 displaced residents now housed across eight emergency shelters.
Response operations mobilized over 140 fire apparatus and more than 800 emergency personnel.
The Transportation Department closed surrounding roadways due to the conflagration.
Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed sympathies to Hong Kong's government regarding the casualties and directed the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing to assist local emergency response efforts.
Chief Executive Lee expressed profound grief over the extensive loss of life, extending condolences to bereaved families and recovery wishes to survivors.
He immediately convened an emergency Cabinet session to orchestrate disaster response protocols.
Lee also established a HK$300 million ($38.5 million) relief fund for affected residents.
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