Workers among casualties in Wang Fuk Court blaze in Hong Kong

The fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 26 has claimed 159 lives by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, with 31 people still missing, the Hong Kong Police Force said at a press briefing earlier Wednesday. Many maintenance workers at the scene were among those who died, including a contractor and workers who attempted to extinguish the fire.

Representatives from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union visited the families of the deceased and survivors. According to the union, the Hong Kong SAR government emphasized that all affected families would receive equal treatment. The federation's occupational safety association has provided HKD 20,000 (about $2600) in emergency relief to each bereaved family.

A surviving worker said his team had been carrying out maintenance work on the 10th to 13th floors of Block 5 when a neighboring building suddenly caught fire, with flames falling onto their work area. The workers used on-site hoses in an attempt to contain the fire, but the blaze quickly intensified. The contractor then instructed the workers to evacuate immediately.