The deadly blaze in Tai Po affected nearly 340 pets, including dogs, cats, birds, and turtles, killing at least 45 of them, a Hong Kong animal welfare NGO has said.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said on Saturday night that a total of 339 pets were affected in the Wang Fuk Court fire, which engulfed seven of eight blocks in the residential estate.
The NGO said the calculation was based on figures from various volunteer groups.
As of 10.55pm on Saturday, the SPCA had assisted the Fire Services Department (FSD) “in handling 136 rescued animals and 45 deceased animals.”
“The rescued animals have been triaged by the SPCA, and further treatment and care are being arranged collaboratively by the SPCA, other animal organisations, and volunteers,” it added.
On Sunday morning, the animal NGO gave another update, saying it had been receiving pets rescued by the FSD “throughout last night and this morning,” and urged Wang Fuk Court pet owners to keep their phones on.
“If there is an update, we will call the pet owners immediately,” the SPCA said.
The death toll from the fatal blaze that broke out on Wednesday remained at 128 as of 3 pm on Saturday, after the Police Disaster Victims Identification Unit (DVIU) swept Wang Tao House and Wang Yan House.
They rescued three cats and a tortoise, but found no bodies.
Residents at Wang Fuk Court have scrambled to find their loved ones since Wednesday, when the inferno broke out shortly before 3 pm. Some – like Rosanna, a woman in her 60s – have also been desperately looking for their pets.
HKFP later learned that Rosanna’s grey poodle, Bear Bear, was rescued alive on Thursday.
