Medical and Hospital News
FIRE STORM
Final death toll from Hong Kong fire put at 168

Final death toll from Hong Kong fire put at 168

by AFP Staff Writers
Hong Kong (AFP) Jan 15, 2026

The final death toll from a devastating fire at a Hong Kong housing complex in November is 168, the city's security chief said on Thursday, seven more than previously announced.

The blaze that tore through the high-rise estate in Tai Po District was the world's deadliest residential building blaze since 1980.

Authorities previously said in the aftermath of the disaster that they had identified 161 victims.

Announcing the completion of identification work on Thursday, security secretary Chris Tang said the number had risen to 168, a final toll.

"All remains and bodies from the incident have been identified" with nobody unaccounted for, he said.

The names of the deceased will not be released at this stage to respect their grieving families' wishes, Tang said.

All the families of the deceased have been notified, police said in a statement.

The deceased comprise 110 women and 58 men, aged between 6 months and 98 years.

They include a firefighter, two interior decorators, five construction workers and 10 migrant domestic workers.

The fire at the Wang Fuk Court complex engulfed seven out of eight residential towers, which were undergoing renovations and wrapped in substandard netting that may have contributed to its spread.

Authorities have formed a judge-led "independent committee" to investigate the blaze.

Police have said they will continue to probe the cause of the fire and submit a death investigation report to the coroner.

City leader John Lee said on Wednesday that police have arrested 16 on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the investigation, and a further six on suspicion of fraud.

Hong Kong's anti-graft watchdog has also arrested 14 on suspicion of corrupt practices, Lee said.

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
FIRE STORM
Wildfires spread to 15,000 hectares in Argentine Patagonia
Buenos Aires, Argentina (AFP) Jan 11, 2026
Forest fires in southern Argentina have scorched more than 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) this week, authorities said, though rain began falling in parts of Patagonia on Sunday to the relief of residents. The largest blaze, burning since Monday near the small town of Epuyen in the Andes, has charred some 11,980 hectares, the Chubut provincial fire service said in a statement. Another fire of unspecified size is burning nearby in the Los Alerces National Park. Firefighters are also battling t ... read more

FIRE STORM
'Are You Dead?': Chinese app for solo dwellers goes viral

Sri Lanka seeks Chinese aid to rebuild after deadly cyclone

Japan nuclear plant operator may have underestimated quake risks

'I can't walk anymore': Afghans freeze to death on route to Iran

FIRE STORM
China tracks surge in geospatial information industry

When 5G networks bolster satellite navigation

LEO internet satellites bolster navigation where GPS is weak

Ancient 'animal GPS system' identified in magnetic fossils

FIRE STORM
Moroccan fossils trace ancient African branch near origin of Homo sapiens

Socializing alone: The downside of communication technology

Chinese villagers win battle against forced cremation after protests

Climate driven model explores Neanderthal and modern human overlap in Iberia

FIRE STORM
India hunts rampaging elephant that killed 20 people

Rare gorilla twins born in conflict-hit DR Congo nature park

Greenland shark study may lead to new ways to preserve vision as we age

US woman killed in rare suspected mountain lion attack

FIRE STORM
Volcanic eruptions may have brought Black Death to Europe

Penguins queue in Paris zoo for their bird flu jabs

Brazil approves world's first single-dose dengue vaccine

FIRE STORM
Arrests reported, cross removed as China crackdown on unofficial churches grows

China's birth-rate push sputters as couples stay child-free and pay contraceptive tax

Chinese homeschool students embrace freer youth in cutthroat market

Beijing slams 'forced demolition' of Chinese monument at Panama Canal

FIRE STORM
Colombian leader asks Venezuela to jointly fight drug traffickers; Venezuela's furious street forces ready to 'fight' after US raid

Armed pirates abduct nine sailors off Gabon

Venezuela's furious street forces ready to 'fight' after US raid

'Sever the chain': scam tycoons in China's crosshairs

FIRE STORM
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.