Mourners flock to site of deadly Hong Kong blaze as Beijing warns against protests

Thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday to pay tribute to the victims of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in over 75 years, as Beijing warned it would crack down on any “anti-China” protests in the aftermath of the blaze.

The fire, which broke out at a high-rise residential complex, remains under investigation, amid public anger over missed warnings about fire risks and evidence of unsafe construction practices.

Police confirmed on Sunday that the death toll had risen to 146 following a sweep of five of the burnt-out towers, with some bodies found in stairwells and on rooftops where residents had attempted to escape. More than 40 people remain missing.

Mourners queued for over a kilometre along a canal near the Wang Fuk Court housing complex to lay white flowers for the dead, with many attaching notes addressed to the victims. Chrysanthemums, which symbolise grief in Chinese culture, were also placed at the site.

The smell of smoke lingered four days after the fast-moving fire consumed seven residential towers in the northern Tai Po district.

Joey Yeung, 28, whose grandmother’s apartment was destroyed in the blaze, said she had come with her family to mourn the victims and to express anger at those responsible. “I cannot accept it. Today, I came with my father and family to lay flowers. I am not asking for anything in return, but at least give some justice to the families of the deceased,” she said.

Among the dead were seven Indonesian domestic workers and one Filipino helper, with dozens of migrant workers still missing. Hundreds attended outdoor prayers in central Hong Kong for the city’s Filipino community.

On Saturday, police detained 24-year-old Miles Kwan, part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into possible corruption and construction oversight failures. Reuters could not immediately confirm whether he had been formally arrested.

The group’s online petition had gathered over 10,000 signatures by Saturday afternoon before being closed. A second petition launched by a Tai Po resident living abroad had more than 2,700 signatures by Sunday, calling on the government to provide “genuine, explicit accountability” to Hongkongers.

The fire, which ripped through seven towers near the border with mainland China, has shocked Hong Kong, prompting both criminal and corruption investigations.

China’s national security authorities warned that anyone attempting to exploit the disaster to stir unrest akin to the 2019 pro-democracy protests would face strict punishment. “We sternly warn the anti-China disruptors who attempt to ‘disrupt Hong Kong through disaster’. No matter what methods you use, you will be held accountable and strictly punished,” they said.

Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the blaze, investigating possible corruption and the use of unsafe materials during renovations. Rescue operations concluded on Friday, though officials say more bodies may be found as they comb through the hazardous, burnt-out buildings, a process that could take three to four weeks.

The fire began on Wednesday afternoon, rapidly engulfing seven of the eight 32-storey blocks, which were wrapped in green mesh and bamboo scaffolding and layered with foam insulation for renovation work.

Officials said fire alarms in the complex, home to over 4,600 residents, were not functioning properly.

This fire is the deadliest in Hong Kong since 1948, when 176 people died in a warehouse blaze. Last year, Wang Fuk Court residents were told the buildings posed “relatively low fire risks” despite raising concerns about the flammability of scaffolding mesh used during renovations, according to the city’s Labour Department. In September 2024, residents had formally reported these hazards

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