Beijing [China], November 30: A three-day official mourning period began on Saturday as Hong Kong honours the victims of the city's deadliest fire in decades.
In the morning, top officials, including Chief Executive John Lee, stood in silence for three minutes outside the government headquarters. Until Monday, flags at all government buildings will be flown at half-mast.
On Wednesday, a major fire broke out in the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in the Tai Po district, engulfing several high-rise towers that were undergoing renovations.
Authorities have confirmed at least 128 deaths, though roughly 200 residents remain missing. This means the death toll could yet climb.
Firefighters finally extinguished the blaze after more than 40 hours of intense effort. With no possibility of further survivors, the focus has shifted to recovering and identifying victims in the charred apartments.
At least 11 people have been arrested in connection with the disaster, including staff from the construction company.
During renovation work on the residential complex, unauthorized materials were apparently used for nets on the scaffolding and some windows were sealed with polystyrene panels.
According to experts, these highly flammable materials played a key role in the rapid spread of the fire.
Source: Qatar Tribune
