128 Dead in Hong Kong Fire as Search Continues for Dozens Missing

Families of the missing continue to search hospitals hoping they are not among the victims, as firefighting efforts concluded on Friday morning.

Tang told reporters that the death toll has risen to 128, with 89 individuals yet to be identified, in addition to over a hundred missing and 79 injured.

He confirmed that the investigation to determine the causes of the worst fire Hong Kong has seen since 1948 is still ongoing and may take three to four weeks.

He explained that preliminary investigation results indicate that the fire, which started in the lower parts of a network designed to protect against dust and falling objects, facilitated its spread. The use of bamboo in scaffolding and flammable materials such as foam boards for window protection is a common practice in Hong Kong.

For his part, Hong Kong Fire Services Chief Andy Young confirmed that there were failures in safety systems.

He told reporters that a team of specialists was sent to the buildings following numerous reports that the fire alarm did not go off.

He added, "We found that the alarm systems in the eight buildings were not functioning properly," thus confirming the accounts of many witnesses interviewed by Agence France-Presse.

After more than 40 hours, hundreds of firefighters managed to control the fire around 10 a.m. (02:00 GMT) in the Wang Fook Court residential complex, which consists of 31 floors and was under renovation.

Journalists from Agence France-Presse witnessed rescue workers transporting four body bags believed to contain remains recovered from under the rubble. Other body bags were unloaded at the Sha Tin morgue, about a 30-minute drive from the fire site.

The tragedy has left many painful stories about the suffering of residents caught in the blaze and in moments of panic, or upon identifying the victims.

Wong (38) tearfully recounted her journey from one hospital to another searching for her brother's wife and her twin sister.

She and her sister went on Thursday to identify victims through photographs, but their efforts were in vain. She said, "My heart is weak; I didn't think I would be able to look at pictures of my loved ones when they are dead."

She regained a glimmer of hope when she heard about unidentified victims admitted to intensive care at Prince of Wales Hospital. She said, "We haven't received any news yet."

The disaster has caused a wave of shock throughout the Chinese territory, highlighting its vulnerability to risks.

The risk of fires is increasing as Hong Kong, with a population of 7.5 million, has an average population density of over 7,100 people per square kilometer. This number triples in more urbanized areas.

This disaster has raised many questions about the cause of the fire, while authorities promised to investigate potential corruption. It is likely that bamboo scaffolding and flammable synthetic materials accelerated the fire's spread.

The Hong Kong Labor Department stated in a statement that the contractor had previously received written warnings regarding fire safety regulations. However, the statement did not explicitly mention any shortcomings on their part in this regard.

Residents of the residential complex, which contains about 2,000 apartments and was built in 1983 in the Tai Po area of northern Hong Kong, described the rapid spread of the flames.

A 77-year-old woman named Mui said, "A fire broke out in one building and spread to two others in less than 15 minutes. Everything happened so quickly. Everything was red. I tremble just thinking about it."

Police announced the arrest of three individuals on suspicion of negligence during maintenance work, but it is still unclear how involved they were in igniting the fire.

Hundreds have shown solidarity with the victims of the incident, as volunteers set up stalls near the complex to distribute clothing and food and provide psychological and medical support. The solidarity was so great that organizers posted on social media that they no longer needed assistance.