Nineteen Filipinos remain missing after a catastrophic blaze tore through Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court complex, a disaster that has now claimed at least 128 lives and left roughly 200 people unlocated in what authorities describe as the city’s deadliest fire in nearly eight decades. Edwina Antonio of Bethune House said dozens of Filipino domestic workers were among those caught in the inferno, with 19 still untraced.
By Friday, rescue teams had halted search operations at the Tai Po estate, though officials stressed that the number of fatalities could rise further as investigators enter damaged units. “We do not rule out the possibility that more bodies could be discovered when police enter the building for detailed investigations,” Security Chief Chris Tang said in a Reuters report.
The high-rise development burned rapidly after flames erupted on Wednesday afternoon, spreading across seven of its eight 32-storey blocks. Tang noted that fire alarms failed to function properly, and the estate—home to more than 4,600 residents—had been enveloped in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh for renovation works. At least 79 people, including 12 firefighters, were injured.
Families waiting for updates have faced the grim task of checking photographs taken by responders. Only 39 of the 128 confirmed fatalities have been identified so far. “Just recognize some picture is maybe (the) body of my dad. It’s my dad’s body is still missing here,” said 48-year-old Mirra Wong, whose father lived in the complex.
Residents, many elderly, returned to the site on Friday to take in the destruction. One woman, identified only as Miss Yu, pointed toward the darkened tower where she once lived. “This is my home. Look over there, the 10th floor, that’s where my home was. By the hills, that’s where my home used to be,” she said. “I really want to go back home, but my home is probably gone now. They won’t let us go back, so when I look in that direction, my heart feels so heavy.”
Others spoke of loved ones with little expectation of good news. “Rationally speaking, it means there’s no hope,” said one resident searching for updates on a friend’s missing wife. “But the bodies still have to be found, right? Let me see if they’ve found them … It’s just too sorrowful. When it involves people you know, it’s even more painful.”
An extensive volunteer network has sprung up around the scene, with hundreds of helpers working nonstop to supply displaced residents with essentials ranging from diapers to hot meals. A temporary support camp now operates beside a nearby mall, where donated goods are sorted and distributed in shifts.
Authorities last year told residents their buildings posed “relatively low fire risks,” despite repeated complaints about hazards linked to ongoing renovation work. In September 2024, concerns were raised over the flammability of the green mesh used to wrap the scaffolding.
Frustration over safety oversight spilled into public spaces on Friday as volunteers distributed flyers at a train station calling for an independent investigation into regulatory failures and construction monitoring. “We really need a whole revamp of institutions,” said a volunteer who identified himself as Miles. “We need to really look into any potential corruption that’s happening … in construction sites in all the sectors around Hong Kong. And that’s the reason why we as regular Hongkongers are standing out.”
Hong Kong’s anti-graft agency has already widened its probe. On Friday, the Independent Commission Against Corruption announced the arrest of eight people—including an engineering consultant, a scaffolding subcontractor, and an intermediary—linked to the ongoing renovation. Police earlier detained two directors and an engineering consultant from Prestige Construction, the firm responsible for maintenance work at Wang Fuk Court, on suspicion of manslaughter for using hazardous materials such as flammable foam panels that blocked windows.
Indonesian authorities confirmed that two of their nationals working as domestic helpers were also among the dead. Hong Kong employs about 368,000 domestic workers, primarily women from lower-income Asian countries who live inside their employers’ homes.
Chief Executive John Lee said the government will establish a HK$300 million (US$39 million) fund to assist survivors, while several major Chinese companies have pledged donations to support relief efforts.
