By Hans Tse and Kelly Ho
The death toll from the massive fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court has risen to 128, while around 200 residents are still unaccounted for, Hong Kong authorities have said.
During a press conference on Friday afternoon, more than 48 hours after the blaze erupted, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said 124 people were found dead at the scene, while four were declared dead in hospital.
“We do not rule out the possibility that more bodies will be found when police officers enter the buildings to conduct investigations and collect evidence,” Tang said in Cantonese.
Sixteen burned bodies are still in the buildings, he added. A total of 79 people were injured.
The blaze at Wang Fuk Court broke out on Wednesday afternoon and quickly engulfed seven of the eight residential towers in the housing complex.
Police received over 460 reports of missing persons during the fire, Tang said, but some cases were later found to be overlapping.
A total of 110 people were later found to be safe, but some 200 are still missing. Among the 128 deaths, the authorities have been able to identify 39 bodies.
Some 40 bodies “were found inside residential units, which we believe could be identified later,” Tang said. “The other 40-odd bodies may require more time for identification.”
Flammable foam boards
Tang also said preliminary laboratory tests found that the netting used to cover the scaffolding at Wang Fuk Court met fire resistance standards, but the foam boards found outside the buildings’ windows were highly flammable.
The authorities believe the fire started at the netting covering the lower floors of Wang Cheong House and ignited the boards, sending flames rapidly upward.
“The blaze then took hold of the boards and broke the windows. As a result, it quickly accelerated and spread indoors,” Tang said.
“Within a short period, a large-scale blaze occurred both inside the buildings and outside, leading to the tragedy.”
Fire Services Director Andy Yeung said at the same press conference that one firefighter had been admitted to an intensive care unit in hospital after suffering heat stroke while on duty.
In total, 11 firefighters were injured during the rescue operation, according to the Fire Services Department (FSD). One firefighter, 37-year-old Ho Wai-ho, was killed in the blaze.
Yeung said that the FSD’s inspection team found that the fire alarm system in the estate’s eight buildings “could not function properly,” adding that prosecution would follow.
According to the FSD, the blaze was “put under control at 3.15am” on Friday and “largely put out at 10.18am.”
Education emergency relief
The Education Bureau (EDB) announced on Friday that it would hand out emergency relief to all schools in Tai Po.
Primary and secondary schools, including special schools, will receive HK$100,000. Kindergartens will receive HK$50,000.
The funds may be used to provide support to students, teachers, and parents, such as counselling services and the purchase of “learning-related items” for students affected by the fire.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club will also provide HK$5,000 relief to every affected student to cope with “immediate learning needs,” the EDB said.
Five online talks on mental health support will be available to teachers and parents on Saturday and Sunday, the bureau said. The speakers will include psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers.
