Thousands of mourners poured into Tai Po on Sunday, forming a solemn river of remembrance for the 146 lives lost in Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in more than seven decades, while Beijing called for unity and healing as a massive rescue and recovery operation continued amid the charred ruins.
The scale of the calamity was evident, as the Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) discovered 18 more bodies in the wreckage of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po following Wednesday’s blaze.
They have completed searches in four of the seven affected buildings, but about 40 people remain unaccounted for.
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As the city grieves, a sweeping resettlement effort is under way. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said 1,827 survivors of the blaze had moved into temporary homes such as hotels and transitional housing.
For longer-term accommodation, the government has located another 200 homes, up from the 1,800 announced earlier.
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“We have been in talks with different providers. The residents can stay there for a very long time. We are confident that they can continue to be sheltered and supported until all problems are resolved,” he told the media.
The 2021 census found that about 4,600 people lived in the housing estate, including in the unaffected block.