The massive fire in Hong Kong killed several, with the death toll now at 128.
The Hong Kong fire death toll has now reached 128, and there was an outpour of grief as the three-day mourning period began.
The deadliest fire in Hong Kong has just occurred, ripping through a high-rise public housing complex in the city’s north-east this week. As of this writing, the fire has already killed at least 128 people.
Dozens more remain missing, with 79 people confirmed injured and 89 bodies yet to be identified.
The last flames were already extinguished, and many described the incident as a “man-made disaster.” Authorities linked the intensity of the fire to Styrofoam installed outside the apartment windows and noted that fire alarms in all eight housing blocks were not functioning properly.
The three-day mourning period began, and City leader John Lee, along with senior ministers and top civil servants, all stood in silence for three minutes at 8:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) outside the government headquarters, where the flags of China and Hong Kong were flown at half-mast.
During the mourning period, all the flags in government buildings and facilities will be flown at half-mast. Citizens were also placing flowers near the charred shell of Wang Fuk Court, the residential complex that burned for more than 40 hours.
Meanwhile, more bodies are retrieved from the fire scene wrapped in black bags, as rescue efforts continue. President Xi Jinping offered his condolences on Wednesday evening and urged “all-out efforts” to reduce casualties and losses.
In a previous article,
Anne Curtis expressed her concern over the massive fire
that hit Hong Kong. Her heart went out to those who were affected by the tragedy.