The death toll from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has risen to 161, after forensic analysis confirmed one more victim among the charred remains at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, more than three weeks after the blaze began, authorities said on Saturday.
Hong Kong police confirmed that DNA tests identified another person in a body previously thought to belong to a couple, raising the total number of confirmed deaths from the fire to 161, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said during a passing-out parade at the Hong Kong Police College.
Chow cautioned that ongoing forensic testing may reveal additional victims, adding that authorities cannot rule out further increases in the death toll. He also noted that all six previously missing residents have now been accounted for, with five people confirmed dead in the fire itself and one fatality dating back to 2023.
Police had earlier collected DNA samples from roughly 100 households within the affected complex to aid in the identification of victims.
The Wang Fuk Court fire, which began in Tai Po, engulfed seven residential blocks containing more than 1,900 apartments over a 43-hour period, making it the most destructive residential fire in Hong Kong in decades. Nearly 5,000 residents were left homeless.
All eight buildings in the complex were undergoing renovation at the time of the blaze, with bamboo scaffolding and mesh nets covering the exteriors and polystyrene foam boards used on windows, which investigators believe may have contributed to the rapid spread of flames.
In response to the disaster, Hong Kong authorities announced a two-year annual rental subsidy of HK$150,000 (US$19,278) for displaced flat owners. Both owners and tenants are also receiving a one-off relocation subsidy of HK$50,000 to help cover immediate costs.
The fire at Wang Fuk Court has prompted renewed calls for stricter safety regulations in residential buildings, particularly during renovation projects, as investigators continue to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace d...
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul...
Russia will see revenue from its biggest single oil tax double to $9 billion in April, driven by the oil and gas crisis triggered by the U.S. and I...
Lithuania’s Prime Minister’s visit to Azerbaijan on 9 April signals a deepening strategic dialogue between Baku and European partners. ...
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday (9 April) that restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a vital interest f...
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the U.S. after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. The warning came from Iran's lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday (9 April) that restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a vital interest for both Italy and the European Union, pledging coordination with international partners to ensure safe passage.
Astronauts aboard Artemis II have described the emotional toll of their historic journey as they prepare for a high-risk “fireball” re-entry. The crew is set to splash down off California on Friday (10 April) after travelling farther than any humans in history.
Iranian officials have criticised ceasefire violations by Isreal and U.S., citing Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon on Wednesday (8 April), an intrusion of a military drone, and a U.S. denial of Tehran’s right of nuclear enrichment, on the first day of the two-week ceasefire on Wednesday.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Construction has begun on a major new solar power project in Xizang, as China continues to expand its renewable energy capacity and push towards a greener future.
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the U.S. after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. The warning came from Iran's lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf.
Russia will see revenue from its biggest single oil tax double to $9 billion in April, driven by the oil and gas crisis triggered by the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, Reuters calculations showed on Thursday.
At least four people died after a small dinghy carrying migrants to Britain sank in the English Channel, French authorities announced on Thursday.
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday declined to block the Pentagon’s national security blacklisting of Anthropic for now, handing a win to the Trump administration after a separate appeals court reached the opposite conclusion.
North Korea has tested a new cluster-bomb warhead mounted on a tactical ballistic missile, alongside advanced electromagnetic and infrastructure-targeting weapons, in a significant escalation of its military capabilities.
A barrage of Russian drones targeted and damaged a critical power substation in Ukraine's southern Odesa region on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment