Hong Kong confirms hundreds safe as apartment fire death toll rises
Tsang Shuk-yin, head of the police casualty enquiry unit, reported that as of 4 pm local time (0800 GMT) on Sunday, 79 people had been injured in the city’s deadliest fire in decades. She explained that around 100 cases remain untraceable due to incomplete information, non-residency at Wang Fuk Court, or missing address details from informants. Approximately 40 individuals are still listed as missing, with authorities actively searching for them.
Hong Kong began a three-day mourning period on Saturday to honor the victims, including 12 firefighters among the injured. Rescue operations continued for the fifth day, though the fires in the Wang Fuk Court complex have been brought under control. Officials warned that the death toll may rise as more bodies are recovered.
The blaze erupted around noon on Wednesday in the apartment complex, which houses over 4,000 residents across eight towers containing more than 1,900 units. The fire spread rapidly due to bamboo scaffolding installed for ongoing renovations and foam plastic materials covering the windows.
Police have detained two directors and an engineering consultant from Prestige Construction & Engineering Company on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the incident. Around 800 affected residents have been relocated to hostels, hotels, and temporary housing since Friday.
The fire prompted Hong Kong to issue a Level 5 alarm, the highest on the city’s five-tier fire alert scale, marking the first time such a warning has been declared in 17 years.
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