Death toll in Hong Kong apartment complex fire hits 146

Another 100 people remain unaccounted for after seven high-rise buildings caught fire and continued burning for two days.

Authorities in Hong Kong said 18 more human remains have been found after the huge blaze in the eight-apartment Wang Fuk Court estate, bringing the death toll to 146 people.

Police and fire authorities held a news conference on Sunday to provide an update on Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in more than 75 years, which burned through seven of the residential buildings in the complex over two days before being fully put out by Friday.

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Shuk-yin Tsang, the head of the Hong Kong police casualty unit, told reporters at the scene that another 100 people remain unaccounted for and 79 were injured. The police had previously reported 128 deaths, with families assisting in the difficult identification process.

Cheng Ka-chun, the officer in charge of the police victim identification unit, said the unit has searched through four of the buildings so far, finding bodies both in apartment units and on the roofs.

He added that the unit “cannot rule out the possibility of further fatalities”, while the full search process across all burned buildings is expected to take three to four weeks.

People line up to offer flowers and prayers for the victims near the site of the deadly fire, November 30, 2025 [Chan Long Hei/AP]

At the scene of the blaze on Sunday, more than 1,000 people gathered to pay tribute to the victims, some bringing flowers and handwritten notes while others said prayers.

Joey Yeung, 28, whose grandmother’s apartment burned in the fire, said she had come with her family with a sense of both mourning for the victims and anger at those responsible.

“I can’t accept it. So today I came with my father and my family to lay flowers,” Yeung told the Reuters news agency. “I’m not asking to get anything back, but at least give some justice to the families of the deceased – to those who are still alive.”

Hong Kong has seen public anger and dismay over the tragedy, as the complex had repeatedly received warnings from residents about risks as well as evidence of unsafe construction practices.

The buildings had been under renovation since last year, and the bamboo scaffolding and flammable foam boards used to protect windows during the process rapidly caught and spread the fire.

Police on Saturday arrested Miles Kwan, 24, who was part of a group that launched a petition demanding an independent probe into possible corruption and a review of construction oversight, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The online petition promoted by the group drew more than 10,000 signatures by Saturday afternoon before it was closed.

People offer flowers for the victims as several of the burned Wang Fuk Court buildings are visible in the background, November 30, 2025 [Chan Long Hei/AP]

Hong Kong officials announced late on Saturday that they had ordered the immediate suspension of work on 28 building projects undertaken by the contractor of the complex, the Prestige Construction and Engineering Company, for safety audits.

Three company officials are among at least 11 people arrested in connection with the blaze, according to local authorities.

Many of the 4,600 people living in the eight high-rise buildings are now housed in short-term emergency shelters or city hotels, and authorities are working on longer-term solutions.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Jeffery Chan, a civil servant who came to pay his respects on Sunday, told The Associated Press news agency.

“As a Hong Konger, seeing people in the place where we live lose their families, lose everything in just one night – if you put yourself in their shoes, it is unbearable. They need encouragement, support and help from the people of Hong Kong,” he said.