ISLAMABAD: Hong Kong entered a formal three-day mourning period on Saturday as thousands of residents laid white and yellow flowers near the burned-out Wang Fuk Court complex, where at least 128 people died in one of the city’s worst fires on record.
The Standard reported that crowds “kept growing” throughout the day as mourners lined a small park beside the charred towers.
Chief Executive John Lee led top government officials in three minutes of silence at Admiralty, with flags across all government buildings lowered to half-mast.
State-run Radio Television Hong Kong noted that senior mainland officials, including Nong Rong and Xu Qifang, joined the ceremony.
“During this period, government officials will cancel all non-essential public events,” RTHK reported, adding that entertainment and celebratory activities funded by the government would be postponed.
Books of condolence were opened in all 18 districts. At the Fu Heng Neighbourhood Community Centre, Chung, a resident who came to leave a message, said she wrote: “Deeply mourning the victims of the fire at Wang Fuk Court. May residents of Wang Fuk Court be able to move beyond their grief as soon as possible.”
Another mourner said she was “devastated” by the scale of the tragedy, adding, “I can’t do much, all I can do is pray.”
The disaster prompted international sympathy. Britain’s King Charles described the fire as an “appalling tragedy” and said “our most heartfelt thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones and with those that are now living with shock and uncertainty.”
Police confirmed the death toll at 128 and said 44 victims were “awaiting body identification.” Officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit, wearing white full-body protective gear, completed searches in two of the eight tower blocks without finding additional bodies.
Rescuers were still trying to clarify the status of about 150 people reported missing, noting that the quality of information varied.
More than 40 people remained hospitalised, including 11 in critical condition and 21 in serious condition. Authorities said flames swept rapidly through the Tai Po estate on Wednesday, consuming seven of the eight towers.
Early findings suggested the fire ignited on lower-floor protective netting and was intensified by “highly flammable” foam boards and bamboo scaffolding.
Fire services chief Andy Yeung said alarms in all eight blocks “were malfunctioning,” pledging action against responsible contractors.
Meanwhile, China launched a campaign targeting “major fire risks and hazards” in high-rise buildings, according to state announcements.
Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog arrested eight people in connection with the blaze, in addition to three earlier police arrests, as investigations intensify into the circumstances behind the city’s deadliest residential fire in decades.
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