At least 146 people are now known to have died in the devastating fire that tore through high-rise buildings in Hong Kong on Wednesday 26th November 2025.
Police announced the new death toll cautioning that they "cannot rule out the possibility of further fatalities". There are still 150 people missing, and the blaze left 79 injured.
Seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northerly Tai Po district rapidly went up in flames.Â
Accusations that the fire was spread by flammable construction materials have sparked widespread anger.
Three days of national mourning started on Saturday, and thousands have gathered at the scene to mourn the victims.
There have been queues stretching as long as 2km, as people wait to lay flowers and handwritten notes.
The fire is Hong Kong's deadliest in more than 70 years, and the death toll has been rising each day, as officials work to recover and identify bodies.
The exact cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.Â
Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of corruption over the renovations that had been taking place on the towers, while three others were detained on manslaughter charges.
The same day, police began entering the buildings to gather evidence. Authorities say the investigation could take three to four weeks.
Police official Tsang Shuk-yin said on Sunday that officers had so far completed searches of four of the tower blocks.
Indonesia's consulate in Hong Kong said at least seven of its nationals had died from the fire, while the Philippines' consulate said one of its citizens had died.
Wang Fuk Court was built in 1983 and had provided 1,984 apartments for some 4,600 residents, according to a 2021 government census.
Hong Kong's second-deadliest fire on record killed 176 people in 1948 and was caused by a ground-floor explosion at a five-storey warehouse.Â
The most deadly was at Happy Valley Racecourse in 1918, when more than 600 people died.
