LONDON — The demise toll from the huge fireplace at a residential condominium complicated in Hong Kong rose to 128 as of Friday, as search and rescue efforts continued.
Hong Kong Secretary for Safety Chris Tang Ping-keung introduced the brand new demise toll on Friday however warned that extra our bodies should be discovered.
Three males related to the development agency in command of the renovation on the housing complicated have been arrested and are below investigation in reference to the fireplace, Hong Kong police mentioned throughout a press convention early Thursday morning.
Police suspect the mesh used in the course of the renovation was lower than commonplace, and the corporate put in a considerable amount of Styrofoam within the home windows and the outer partitions which acted as an accelerant as soon as the fireplace started, police mentioned.
The mesh and the Styrofoam had been discovered within the one constructing that wasn’t impacted by the fireplace, police mentioned.
Greater than 140 fireplace engines and over 800 firefighters and paramedics had been deployed on Wednesday to answer the fireplace, with drones additionally in use, officers mentioned.
Firefighters spray water on flames as a significant fireplace burns via a number of condominium blocks on the Wang Fuk Court docket residential property in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on Nov. 27, 2025.
Peter Parks/AFP through Getty Pictures
Some 279 folks have been reported lacking, Hong Kong chief John Lee mentioned throughout a press briefing earlier Thursday.
“The hearth has resulted in lots of casualties, together with a fireman who died within the line of responsibility,” Lee mentioned in an earlier assertion posted to social media. “I specific my deep unhappiness and my deep condolences to the households of the useless and the injured.”
Chinese language President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences and sympathies to the victims’ households and people affected in a press release.
He mentioned he ordered authorities to “do every little thing doable to make sure search and rescue operations, medical therapy for the injured, and post-disaster reduction, and to supply obligatory help to related departments and native authorities to attenuate casualties and losses.”
Thick smoke and flames rise as a significant fireplace engulfs a number of condominium blocks on the Wang Fuk Court docket residential property in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on November 26, 2025.
Yan Zhao/AFP through Getty Pictures
ABC Information’ Karson Yiu, Ellie Kaufman, Will Gretsky and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
