Death toll in Hong Kong apartment complex blaze rises to 146 as the city mourns

Thousands turned out on Sunday (Nov 30) to pay tribute to the victims of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in more than 75 years, as Beijing warned it would crack down on any “anti-China” protest in the wake of the blaze.

Fire Risk

The cause of the blaze at a high-rise apartment complex, remains under investigation, amid public anger over missed fire risk warnings and evidence of unsafe construction practices.

146

Police said on Sunday the confirmed death toll had risen to 146 after they completed a sweep of five of the burnt-out towers. Some bodies had been found in stairwells and on rooftops where residents had tried to flee. More than 40 people are still missing, police said.

Chrysanthemums

Mourners queued for more than a kilometre along the banks of a canal near the burnt-out Wang Fuk Court housing complex to lay white flowers for those who died, with people still arriving late in the evening. Some attached notes addressed to the victims and laid flowers, including chrysanthemums, which symbolise grief in Chinese culture.

About E. J. McKay

E. J. McKay is a Shanghai-headquartered investment bank with a special focus on mergers & acquisitions. We are one of the most long standing independent investment banks in China, with core business of mergers & acquisitions and financing advisory.