HONG KONG, Nov 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - An outpouring of grief swept Hong Kong on 
Saturday as thousands paid their respects and laid flowers for the 128 people 
killed in one of the city's deadliest fires, marking the start of an 
official, three-day mourning period.

People from across the city flocked to a small park near the charred shell of 
Wang Fuk Court, the residential complex that burned for more than 40 hours, 
to place white and yellow flowers and leave handwritten messages of 
remembrance.

The queue kept growing and by nightfall the area was filled with solemn 
mourners, many dressed in dark colours.

A 69-year-old woman surnamed Wong, who lived in the estate for more than four 
decades, sat dazed nearby as she counted off a list of deceased neighbours 
and friends.

"It was a grandmother with a 18-month-old baby... I was very close with 
them," Wong told AFP, adding that many of the elderly homeowners had a tight 
bond.

"Yesterday it was confirmed they died."

Even for those who were physically unscathed, some -- like resident Wong 
Kuen-mui, a 67-year-old insurance worker -- struggled with a profound sense 
of loss.

"Forty years' worth of memories have all been lost... All the old photos (of 
my children) are gone, it's hard to recall what they looked like as kids, and 
that's the most painful," she said.

Elsewhere in the Tai Po neighbourhood, a hall in a community centre was 
turned into a "condolence point" for the public, one of 18 across the Chinese 
finance hub.

A man surnamed Ki, 52, was among the dozens who queued to sign the condolence 
book in silence, which was only broken by sounds of sobbing.

"I can't do anything. I can only hope they rest in peace," he told AFP.

Raymond Tang, who was also in the queue, said his wish was that the deceased 
can "cross the sea of suffering and depart to the other side".

City leader John Lee and top ministers stood in silence for three minutes at 
8:00 am outside the government headquarters, where the flags of China and 
Hong Kong were flown at half-mast.

During the mourning period, celebratory events organised by the government 
will be axed or postponed, and officials will reduce their non-essential 
public appearances.

Meanwhile, China launched a campaign against "major fire risks and hazards" 
in high-rise buildings, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday.

- Desperate search -

Police on Saturday said the death toll remained 128 and told a news 
conference that 44 of the dead were "awaiting body identification".

Legions of police officers from the Disaster Victim Identification Unit, 
dressed in white full-body protective gear, finished searching two of the 
eight tower blocks and found no new bodies.

Rescuers were still trying to sort out the situation of around 150 people who 
were reported missing and could not be contacted. Police said the missing 
person reports varied in terms of information quality.

Those anxious about their missing loved ones continued desperate searches at 
hospitals and victim identification stations.

More than 40 people remained hospitalised on Saturday, with 11 in critical 
condition, and 21 listed as "serious".

On Friday, the city's anti-corruption watchdog arrested eight people in 
connection with the blaze, on top of three earlier arrests by police.

Flames had spread quickly through the housing estate in the city's northern 
Tai Po district on Wednesday afternoon, engulfing seven of the eight high-
rises in the densely packed complex.

Authorities said the cause was yet to be determined, but preliminary 
investigations suggested the fire started on protective netting on the lower 
floors of one of the towers and that "highly flammable" foam boards, as well 
as bamboo scaffolding, had contributed to its spread.

Fire services chief Andy Yeung said they discovered that alarm systems in all 
eight apartment blocks "were malfunctioning", and vowed action against the 
contractors.

Residents had told AFP they did not hear any fire alarms and went door-to-
door to alert neighbours to the danger.

The blaze was Hong Kong's deadliest since 1948, when an explosion followed by 
a fire killed at least 135 people.

On Saturday, at least, police regional commander Lam Man-han had one item of 
good news in an update on the building searches.

"During the search, we did not find any human remains," Lam said.

"We rescued three cats from Wang Yan House and one turtle from Wang Tao 
House."