Hong Kong mourns fire victims with flags at half-mast

John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), along with principal officials of the HKSAR government and civil servants, participated in a memorial service at the government headquarters on Saturday, paying tribute to the victims of the residential building fire in Hong Kong's Tai Po.

The memorial service started at around 8:00 a.m. With the national flag and the HKSAR flag hoisted at half-mast, all officials present observed a three-minute silence in mourning for the fire victims.

The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, the Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, as well as the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, also observed silence and hoisted flags at half staff on Saturday morning.

According to the HKSAR government, national flags and the HKSAR flags displayed at all government buildings and facilities will be flown at half-mast from Saturday to Monday. During the period, government officials will not attend non-essential public activities.

All entertainment and celebration activities organized or funded by the government will be cancelled or postponed as appropriate.

During the mourning period, the government will set up condolence points in all 18 districts of the city, enabling the public to sign condolence books and mourn the victims.

By Friday, the death toll from the fire that broke out on Wednesday afternoon at Wang Fuk Court, a residential complex, had reached 128, according to the HKSAR government.