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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] The death toll from the Hong Kong high-rise apartment fire has risen to 146, according to a report from the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 30th.
Hong Kong authorities confirmed the updated figure after 18 additional bodies were discovered at the Wong Fuk Court apartment complex, where the recent fire occurred. More than 40 residents remain missing.
Search operations have been completed in four of the seven affected residential blocks, and officials estimate that it will take three to four weeks to recover all remains and complete the identification process. Approximately 1,827 displaced residents have already relocated to temporary housing provided by the Hong Kong government. Authorities have also declared a three-day official mourning period beginning on the 29th to honor the victims of the tragedy.
The fire broke out around 2:50 p.m. on the 26th at Wong Fuk Court, a high-rise complex in the Tai Po area of the New Territories. The blaze spread rapidly along bamboo scaffolding and combustible mesh installed on the building’s exterior. More than 2,300 firefighters were deployed, and it took over 40 hours to fully extinguish the flames.
알파경제 Kim Jisun (stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
