Hong Kong Locates 144 Missing from Fire Unharmed, 150 Remain Uncontactable

Hong Kong authorities reported this Saturday that 144 people initially listed as missing following the fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex have been located unharmed, while approximately 150 remain uncontactable.

The official death toll stands at 128, and identification efforts are ongoing. The provisional count places the number of deceased at 84 and the injured at 37 among those who were initially reported as missing.

44 Bodies Unidentified

The head of the police victim identification unit, Karen Tsang Shuk-yin, indicated that 44 bodies remain unidentified and that the police have begun notifying relatives and individuals who have reported disappearances to participate in the process.

Although authorities have not provided a detailed breakdown, figures released since Wednesday show that the initial list of missing persons, which stood at around 200 cases, has expanded to nearly 300, partly due to reports with incomplete or difficult-to-verify information.

"Among these 150 cases, for a hundred we have only received very scant details, sometimes just a nickname or even doubts about whether the person actually lived in Wang Fuk Court," explained Tsang in statements reported by the South China Morning Post. She added that the police are contacting those who called the dedicated hotline "one by one" to advance the identification process.

This update comes during an official three-day mourning period in the city and as rescue teams continue to search the seven affected blocks for remains and evidence.

Preliminary investigations suggest that highly flammable materials used in renovations contributed to a vertical spread of the fire. The criminal investigation is proceeding with eleven arrests, including managers, consultants, and subcontractors, in one of the deadliest fires in Hong Kong's recent history.