Hong Kong fire kills 146, dozens remain missing

People pray near Wang Fuk Court housing estate for the victims of the deadly fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, 30 November 2025.

Mourners gathered across Hong Kong on Sunday, including thousands near the charred Wang Fuk Court apartment blocks, following a fire that claimed at least 146 lives, marking the city’s deadliest blaze in decades.

Police and Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog have launched investigations into the disaster, while a petition calling for an independent probe was shut down after its organiser, 24-year-old student Miles Kwan, was reportedly arrested for sedition.

At a small park next to the damaged estate in Tai Po, queues of people holding flowers stretched more than 1.2 kilometres, with some waiting hours to pay their respects.

The death toll rose from 128 to 146 as the Disaster Victim Identification Unit recovered additional bodies from flats, staircases, hallways, and rooftops. Chief Superintendent Tsang Shuk-yin warned that further fatalities could not be ruled out.

An interdepartmental task force has been set up to investigate the cause of the fire. The anti-corruption watchdog has arrested 11 people in connection with the blaze, three of whom face manslaughter charges.

Police and Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong have vowed to take strict action against those accused of exploiting the disaster to cause unrest.

Officials said 54 of the recovered bodies are yet to be identified, and around 40 people are still reported missing. Fourteen people remain critically injured, with another four in serious condition.

The Housing Department surveyed six of the estate’s eight blocks, confirming no immediate structural danger. Across Hong Kong, vigils and prayer events were held, with migrant domestic workers participating in memorials in Victoria Park and the central business district.

At least seven Indonesian nationals and one Philippine worker were among the victims.

The Buildings Department ordered temporary suspension of works on 30 private projects, while the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s race meeting was held behind closed doors, donating its HK$70.2 million ($9 million) gross income to a government relief fund.