Hong Kong Mourns as Building Fire Death Toll Rises to 128

TaiwanPlus News

Hong Kong has begun a three-day mourning period following a devastating fire in the northern district of Tai Po in which the official death toll has reached 128. Police warn the death toll could rise further as they search the apartment complex. The fire was thought to have spread due to renovation scaffolding on the outside of the buildings. Authorities have arrested 14 people amid allegations of corruption and the use of unsafe materials.

Transcript

00:00Hong Kong has entered a three-day period of mourning as the death toll from the city's

00:04worst fire in decades rises to 128. Officials warn the number may increase.

00:11So as of 3 p.m. today, we got 128 deceased persons confirmed case. We expected that when

00:20our DVIU officers entered other buildings, the number of death toll may be on the rise.

00:26That grim prediction comes as police revise the number of missing down to 150.

00:33The blaze broke out Wednesday at an apartment complex in the city's northern district of

00:38Taipo, rapidly engulfing buildings covered with scaffolding for renovations.

00:43Authorities have now arrested 14 people in an investigation into possible corruption and

00:48use of unsafe materials. On Sunday, city officials bowed and lowered flags to half-mast to mark

00:55the beginning of the mourning period. Meanwhile, residents are laying flowers at a makeshift

01:00memorial, questioning how such a disaster could occur.

01:06My mood is not good. Normally, this should not happen in Hong Kong in 2025 if all standards

01:12were being met.

01:15Police say combing through the hazardous site for remains could take weeks.

01:19Police say combing through the hazardous site for remains could take weeks.

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